The Benefits of Having a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Abstract

A cting on the request of President John Kennedy, Congress, in October 1962, passed legislation establishing a new Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). This legislation implemented the visionary proposal first put forward by Robert E. Cooke, MD, Chair of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, to fill a void in the NIH research spectrum by focusing on developmental processes and how they were affected by genes, disease, or environment, with a focus on the health impact onmothers and children. This action provided the opportunity to use the unparalleled resources of the federal government, provided by the American people, to advance a great cause: Improving the health and lives of mothers and children, in this country and worldwide, through research. I would like to share with you some of what has come from a part of this investment. One of the keys to research success is training. Without a sound base of trained, skilled investigators, your field has no chance in the highly competitive world of winning research support. Nearly 25 years ago, the scientific leadership of Pediatrics asked me to support the convening of a meeting to plan a way to assure sound training of the scientific leadership for the pediatrics of the future. What came from that meeting at NICHD was the Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP), funded by a new K12 grant from NICHD but contributed to by numerous pediatric organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Society for Pediatric Research, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, and American Pediatric Society. It was highly selective in who entered the program and intensely mentored to ensure success in training in top-notch labs and entering an academic career. That PSDP grant continues today, growing and expanding under the nurturing leadership of Dr Peggy Hostetter. Because of its success but need for larger numbers, NICHD added a companion program, the Child Health Research Career Development Program. It was also supported by NICHD K12 grants, awarded to and located in 20 pediatric departments, and markedly augmented the numbers of pediatric scientists trained in the flagship PSDP.