A few weeks ago I wrote about the debate swirling around Francis Collins' nomination as NIH director. Some people expressed concerns that Collins' status as an evangelical Christian would adversely affect science policy in this country. Yesterday was Collins' first day on the job, and the first time he has spoken publicly about his plans for the NIH. Jocelyn Kaiser from Science Insider has a nice re-cap of his remarks here. You can view a video of his address to the NIH staff here.
I was particularly interested to read how Collins both expressed support for investigator-driven research and pledged to promote 'big science'. As described in our most recent issue of Stanford Medicine, this is a tough balancing act when dollars are limited. Here's hoping Collins has a fool-proof strategy for those steady annual NIH budget increases everyone keeps talking about wistfully.
Previously Science vs. Religion at the NIH?
Via Science Insider
