There probably isn’t a job anywhere in the world that Dr. Elias Zerhouni could not win if he simply took to his next job interview a videotape of the Farewell Celebration that took place in his honor Oct. 30 in a packed Masur Auditorium. After 115 minutes of tributes from colleagues, Congress, interest groups and the administration, perhaps the biggest challenge of his 6½-year directorship was emerging from the hall with his humility intact.

The NIH Research Festival marked 21 years on Oct. 14 and its custodial parent made one thing perfectly clear at the opening plenary session: “This is our 21st Research Festival, so perhaps on the occasion of our 21st birthday we should recognize that risky behavior is expected,” quipped Dr. Michael Gottesman, who as NIH deputy director for intramural research has overseen 15 of the 21 gatherings.