We at NIAMS are excited as we look forward to the arrival of Lindsey Criswell as the new Director but our thoughts also turn back to memories of our previous Director, Steve Katz. He was a unique voice who guided the NIAMS as director for more than two decades and who spent his career mentoring the next generations of researchers. With this in mind, I am pleased to share news of new awards that give the NIH a unique way to encourage the scientists of tomorrow.

To keep your teeth and gums healthy for a lifetime, it’s important to brush and floss each day and see your dentist regularly. But what you might not often stop to consider is how essential good oral health really is to your overall well-being. The mouth, after all, is connected to the rest of the body, and oral infections can contribute to problems elsewhere.

Dear Colleagues, When I last reached out back in April, we were all just beginning to navigate the unpredictable situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, you have all demonstrated great patience, strong resolve, and a tremendous amount of adaptability. NIH understands that the pandemic continues to upend lives and livelihoods, including those of its grantees and their institutions. To help you move through these uncertain times, the agency has provided the grantee community with a number of COVID-19 flexibilities. The agency will continue to monitor the situation and will post guide notices and updated FAQs on

New paradigms for how clinical research information is collected, used and reported.