Soon after becoming NIH Director in May 2002, Dr. Zerhouni convened a series of meetings to chart a "roadmap" for medical research in the 21st century a process that identified major opportunities and gaps in biomedical research that no single institute at NIH could tackle alone, but that the agency still needed to address.

"NIH must lead the way in instituting the changes in medical research necessary to improve the health of all Americans," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "It is clear that NIH has a compelling vision for the future of medical research and what will have the most profound impact on research and most importantly the health of all Americans."

"There has been a scientific revolution in the last few years. The opportunities for discoveries have never been greater, but the complexity of biology remains a daunting challenge. With this new strategy for medical research, NIH is uniquely positioned to spark the changes that must be made to transform scientific knowledge into tangible benefits for people," said Dr. Zerhouni.

"We have made remarkable progress in medical research in recent decades, and NIH-led research has changed the landscape of many diseases. However, very real and very urgent needs remain," Dr. Zerhouni said. "NIH is now drawing all fields of science together in a concerted effort to meet these challenges head-on."

Developed with input from more than 300 nationally recognized leaders in academia, industry, government and the public, the NIH Roadmap provides a framework of the strategic investments that NIH needs to make to optimize its entire resea
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Contact: NIH Office of Communications
301-496-5787
NIH/National Institutes of Health
30-Sep-2003