The first quarter-making strides for dermatologic research

The first quarter-making research Because of economic and budget problems facing the Administration, new proposed legislation and regulatory activities have been considerably slower in coming at the beginning of this year than in the past. It was expected earlier that a massive "procompetition" bill would be introduced by the Administration early this year, but the program has not yet come forward. The Office of Management and Budget is still trying to iron out the details of this very complex matter. Early in January and in February, there were a series of meetings between members of the Academy and the Society for Investigative Dermatology with members of Federal agencies interested in dermatologic matters. Meetings were also held with representatives of Senators Edward Kennedy and Alan Cranston about potential legislation regarding dermatologic research. On January 18, there was a meeting about the interests of the Academy regarding the National Institutes of Arthritis, Diabetes, and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIADDKD) with members of that Institute. Discussions essentially dealt with new opportunities for dermatologic research within NIADDKD, as well as the opportunity to develop a coordinating effort including the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), other institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) , and all federal agencies with an interest in dermatologic research. Throughout the month of February, meetings were held with staff to the House and Senate authorizing committees to assess possible legislation regarding dermatology and the NIH. In addition, considerable activity was undertaken to develop coalition efforts in support of research programs in the National Institute on Allergy and Immunology as well as NIADDKD.

strides for dermatologic

New bill supports derrnatologic research Language included in the newly introduced Health Research Act of 1982 (HR 5919) would establish at the NIH and located in NIADDKD a Skin Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee. This committee would be composed of the directors or their designees of the various NIH institutes involved in research on skin disease, along with the chief medical director (or designee) of the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, and all other agencies, including NIOSH. In order to assure that visibility is given to research concerns, the legislation requires that annual reports of forward progress be made both to the Director of NIH and to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. This will be supported by testimony to be forwarded to the authorizing committees at the appropriate time and will be used in the appropriations hearings as well, in order to call attention to the needs of dermatologic research.

A look to the future The first few months of this year saw little action on nonresearch and nonacademic matters of concern to practitioners. There is no question that the next several quarters will see more activity of concern to practitioners. We will be able to concentrate on those issues more as we have prepared and developed forward movement on the research issues which will stand us in good stead later in the year. Jolzrz T . Grupperzlzoff, Ph.D. Potonzac, MD