The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) deputy director for extramural research stepped down last month to take on a new post.
Norka Ruiz Bravo, who had been in her position at the NIH for five years, vacated the role at the end of October and is now a special advisor to the NIH director (another position that recently changed). For the meantime she will be replaced by Salley Rockey, who has been in the Office of Extramural Research for three years.
"I personally believe that the leadership of high level positions like that of the [deputy director of extramural research] should turn over every five or six years to make room for new perspectives and direction," Ruiz Bravo said in a statement posted on the extramural research Web site. She added that in light of Zerhouni's departure it seemed like the right time to make the change.
Comments
The NIH Director, Elias Zerhouni, also stepped down at the end of October. Zerhouni and Ruiz Bravo were strong defenders of the NIH policy, and with interim people now in both positions it's more important than ever for President Obama to act quickly in January to appoint a worthy successor to the top spot. It's more important than ever for his advisors and Hill team to recognize the value of the NIH policy and protect it from the special interests trying to overturn it. We need the NIH policy now not only for medical research, but also as a precedent and supporting argument for an extension of the policy to the high-priority research program on green energy.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
