'Roadmap' Briefing for NIH'ers, Feb. 20

The NIH Roadmap for Medical Research will be the topic of a special presentation to NIH employees on Friday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. in Lipsett Amphitheater, Bldg. 10. NIH director Dr. Elias Zerhouni and other key NIH leaders will discuss the implementation and future directions of the NIH Roadmap and take questions from the audience. All are welcome to attend. For more information on the NIH Roadmap, visit www.nihroadmap.nih.gov.

Children's Inn To Benefit from Shopping Event

Shop 'til you drop and support the Children's Inn at NIH. Enjoy guilt-free shopping and help seriously ill children and their families at "The Shopping Event" on Wednesday, Mar. 3 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Bloomingdale's in Tyson's Corner and White Flint. The inn is one of four charities that will benefit. Featured are live entertainment, discounts and fashion events, as well as storewide savings of 15-20 percent for customers with invitations.

Bloomingdale's will donate $5 to each shopper's designated charity for each invitation turned in at the door on Mar. 3. Invitations are available on the Children's Inn web site at www.childrensinn.org, or by calling Suzanne Oberlander at (301) 451-9461 at the inn. Tickets may also be purchased for $10 at the door with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting all participating charities. Organizers hope to raise more than $20,000 to benefit the four community-based non-profit organizations.

NIH Library To Launch Web Site at Open House

Join NIH Library staff as they celebrate the unveiling of a web site redesign with demonstrations that include navigating the new site, using new online resources and document delivery enhancements, and answering your questions on Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Attendees completing a brief survey at the NIH Library Open House will be eligible to win one of three information makeovers. An information makeover is a service in which NIH librarians assess and organize an individual's information requirements for efficient retrieval and use.

Refreshments will be served and the library's new logo will debut. For those unable to attend, the animated tutorial "Introduction to the NIH Library Web Site" will be available on the web site following the open house. For more information, call (301) 496-1080 or visit http://nihlibrary.nih.gov.

Science Readers Needed

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) is a non-profit organization that provides recorded textbooks for blind and dyslexic students. Currently, the organization has a much greater demand for high-level science texts than it can fulfill. NIH volunteer readers fill a great need by sharing their science and medical expertise. The most critical need is for specialists such as chemists, physicists, doctors, computer scientists and mathematicians.

RFB&D has a recording space at NIH for the convenience of scientists and medical experts who can record college and post-graduate level science texts. All necessary training on recording equipment is provided. A 1-hour per week commitment for a minimum of 6 months is requested. For more information about RFB&D, contact Sarah Scully at (202) 244-8990 or sscully@rfbd.org.

NIH Sailing Association Open House

The NIH Sailing Association invites everyone to its open house on Thursday, Mar. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the FAES House on the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Cedar Lane. Would you like to learn to sail? Does the idea of racing sailboats appeal to you? Can you imagine being part of a group filled with skilled sailing instructors, enthusiasts and boat owners? Membership includes instruction, sailboats for charter, racing, cruises, parties and fun. Admission is $5 at the door and includes pizza and sodas; $2 for beer or wine. For more information, visit www.recgov.org/sail.

Wednesday Afternoon Lectures

The Wednesday Afternoon Lecture series — held on its namesake day at 3 p.m. in Masur Auditorium, Bldg. 10 — features Dr. Ari Helenius on Feb. 25; his topic is "How Viruses Enter Their Host Cells." He is professor of biochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich.

On Mar. 3, Dr. Daniel Kahneman will lecture on "The Marvels and Illusions of Intuitive Thinking." He is 2002 Nobel laureate in economics and Eugene Higgins professor of psychology and professor of public affairs, Princeton University.

For more information or for reasonable accommodation, call Hilda Madine, (301) 594-5595.

Eating Disorder Support Group?

A group of NIH employees is considering starting a support group for people trying to recover from an eating disorder or for families and friends who are trying to support someone with an eating disorder. If others also would be interested, either in a recovery support group or one for families and friends, and if low- or no-cost space can be identified for after-work or lunch time meetings, it may be possible to create a local eating disorders support group. If you are interested, call Nancy at (301) 493-4568 (evenings) or send an email to lstrauss01@yahoo.com.

NIH Training Center Offers Online Learning via 'Fastrac'

The NIH Training Center offers access to more than 1,600 courses through its online solution called Fastrac. Fastrac is delivered through the HHS Distributed Learning Network (D/L Net). You can sign up for a 1-year subscription for $75, and have access to a full catalog of self-paced courses via the Internet. Course categories include administrative support, information technology and management. Take training at your own pace, in your own workspace, without even leaving your desk. For instructions on how to register go to http://learningsource.od.nih.gov/fastrac3.html or call (301) 496-6211 for more information.