Activities of the Conjoint Committee. Enhancement of diagnostic radiologic research and education

Even though we have made much progress over the last decade, much still needs to be done. I am personally very pleased with the excellent management and authority of my coauthor, Joe Frank, in assuming the Acting Directorship of our DRRP. You will be hearing more from him in the immediate future about this research program, and he will be accessible to all of you, both individually and at our national meetings. We must continue to recruit representatives to fill responsible positions at the NIH, including Director for the DRRP at the National Cancer Institute. Further funding for equipment and personnel within the Diagnostic Radiology Research Laboratory also will be necessary. We are anticipating that the annual laboratory budget will increase further, but to provide additional resources, the Conjoint Committee plans to take an active role in encouraging foundations, corporations, and member societies to assist further with this effort. Most of the other disciplines within medicine--in fact, many individuals in your own medical school within other departments--have spent time at the NIH. It is this high-quality experience, in an environment that can provide both the research background and the cultivated personal relationships and interactions, that will foster a long-term research career. Clearly, the complementary role of both the intramural and extramural programs will allow diagnostic radiology to achieve excellence and true respect in the total research community of the Academy. Many people have been responsible for our success, and I have already mentioned a few.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)