“We have increased the pool of talented women who choose to study science and engineering — we must now focus our efforts on retaining and advancing them. As we look to the future of science, we need to ensure we fulfill the promise of 21st century science to improve the health and lives of all people, and to remain competitive in the face of increasing global science and engineering competition. This will require commitment at every level of the scientific enterprise and commitment by every individual to change the current culture. We cannot afford to lose women from the scientific and engineering workforce since they are such a significant scientific resource.”

The report may be found at: http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20060918.html.

The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers. This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director also includes program offices which are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research throughout NIH. Additional information is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.