Kington Named NIH Acting Director
On October 31, Dr. Raynard Kington stepped in as acting director of NIH, following Dr. Elias Zerhouni's departure. Dr. Kington has served as principal deputy director of NIH since 2003 and worked closely with Dr. Zerhouni on the leadership, policy direction, and coordination of NIH's 27 institutes and centers. He previously served in several other positions at NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as being a senior scientist at the RAND Corporation.

Dr. Kington earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan and completed his residency training in internal medicine at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago. He attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar, earning his M.B.A. and his Ph.D. in health policy and economics.

Dr. Kington's research has focused on the role of social factors, especially socioeconomic status, as determinants of health. His current research includes studies of the health and socioeconomic status of black immigrants, differences in populations in willingness to participate in genetic research, and racial and ethnic differences in infectious disease rates.

SWOG Joins EDRN in Furthering Prostate Cancer Research
Dr. Ian Thompson, chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and an investigator with NCI's Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), was recently appointed chair of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Genitourinary Committee. Dr. Thompson proposed developing a close relationship with EDRN to improve correlative studies, specifically biomarker studies.

According to the proposal, all correlative studies involving biomarkers, at the concept stage, will come to the EDRN for review. This allows an opportunity to explore biomarkers that are not just diagnostic but also prognostic.

EDRN will use its secure Web site to provide online review and inform EDRN members of new concepts. If EDRN discovery and validation laboratories have a marker or technology that could be applied, they can contact the principal investigator of the therapeutic trial directly. The synergism between the two organizations will facilitate early identification of markers, modifications in trial design or study calendars, proper collection of specimens, recognition of any other preliminary data that are necessary to obtain, and, ultimately, a move towards individualized medicine.

Proposals Sought for 2009 NIH Director's Pioneer and New Innovator Awards
The 2009 NIH Director's Pioneer Awards and New Innovator Awards competition was launched on October 24. The programs, which are part of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, support scientists who take innovative, potentially high-impact approaches to major challenges in biomedical or behavioral research.

Pioneer Awards provide up to $2.5 million in direct costs over 5 years and are open to scientists at any career stage. New Innovator Awards provide up to $1.5 million in direct costs over the same period and are for early career investigators who have not received an NIH regular research (R01) grant or similar funding. NIH expects to make 5 to 10 Pioneer Awards and up to 24 New Innovator Awards in September 2009.

Beginning this year, both award competitions will begin with a pre-application phase. More information about the Pioneer Awards, including application instructions and submission deadlines, can be found at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer. Information about the New Innovator Awards, including applications instructions and submission deadlines, can be found at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/newinnovator.