In 1996, in response to these concerns, Varmus, then director of NIH, impaneled a group of experienced clinical investigators and academic health center
administrators to make recommendations that might guide the NIH toward policy changes to alleviate the concerns in the clinical research community.14 Several of the panel's recommendations have been implemented, including increased support of the General Clinical Research Center budget, expanded support of training in clinical research, and the establishment of NIH - sponsored
educational debt relief programs for clinical investigators.15 - 18 The panel also recommended restructuring of NIH peer review groups so that patient -
oriented grant applications would be evaluated by study sections in which at least half the grant applications involve patient -
oriented research.
As Dr. Becoats and his Executive Leadership Team recognize the need for the assessment of current
educational programs and initiatives within DPS, R and A will strive to model the Data - to - Action, results -
oriented culture that drives our data analysis work, and which we emphatically support and promote to all
administrators and educators within DPS.