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Scarpa to Say Farewell

Aug 01, 2011

The National Institutes of Health's Center for Scientific Review Director Toni Scarpa will be leaving his post come September. Blogger Writedit at Medical Writing, Editing, and Granstmanship first reported Scarpa's departure, which CSR has confirmed to Daily Scan.

In an e-mail Scarpa sent to his colleagues last week, Writedit says the outgoing director noted:

My departure will permit the NIH Director to search for a new CSR leader who will have renewed enthusiasm and fresher ideas for this strategically important position, and who will also better match the Director's vision and management style.

Writedit adds that Scarpa, who left his professorship at Case Western Reserve University to lead CSR in 2005, will return to Ohio to be closer to his wife, Meredith Bond, who is the new dean of the College of Sciences and Health Professions at the nearby Cleveland State University.

According to Writedit, Scarpa also noted some of the highlights of his term as CSR director in his e-mail:

These six years have been an exhilarating experience and I consider myself fortunate and privileged to have served in a period of unprecedented changes, and opportunities, in peer review. Thanks to a professional and dedicated staff, CSR has managed to review 50 percent more applications, in addition to 40,000 ARRA [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] applications two years ago. It was also a fulfilling experience to be able to help NIH design the first major changes in peer review in 65 [years] and to have CSR implementing them.

CSR's Director of Communications Don Luckett tells Daily Scan that "since Dr. Scarpa is leaving in September, we expect the official announcement will go out sometime this month."

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