1996 marks a very special occasion for the Division of Research Grants and the National Institutes of Health, the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Division of Research Grants. In January 1946, the NIH Research Grants Office began operations. The instructions for grant application submission were contained in four pages, a single study section was constituted and the workload was eight applications. In 1996 the NIH will receive more than 40,000 grant applications to be reviewed in the initial review groups within DRG and other components of NIH. Clearly there have been many changes in science and the process of application submission and review over time. However, the fundamental principles of the peer review system remain unaltered. The NIH system is based on scientists judging the work of fellow scientists.

The National Institutes of Health and the Division of Research Grants will celebrate this golden anniversary with a symposium on June 20, 1996 at the Natcher Conference Facility on the NIH campus in Bethesda. The theme of the symposium is "The Past, Present, and Future of Peer Review". Speakers will be discussing fifty years of excellence in peer review and its impact on biomedical research. Speakers will include the present and former directors of DRG and NIH, historians, study section members, and others interested in the peer review process. A detailed agenda will be available soon. This is an opportunity for colleagues and friends to commemorate the Division of Research Grants and its role in promoting the concept of peer review for the advancement of new knowledge. The symposium will also mark the publication of Half a Century of Peer Review: A History of the Division of Research Grants by Dr. Richard Mandel.

There will be no fees for the attendance at this symposium, but advance registration is required. Details regarding the registration procedures will be posted shortly. The Natcher facility is fully accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Questions about the symposium should be directed to Dr. Suzanne Fisher, Acting Chief, Referral Section, DRG at (301) 435-0715 or fishers@drg.nih.gov.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, the Division of Research Grants is interested in contacting past employees. Please send addresses and other information about former employees to Dr. Fisher at the above or by fax at (301) 480-1987.

Additional updates about the DRG 50th Anniversary will be provided regularly, including information on the proceedings of the event.

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