Most statisticians know the National Institutes of Health is a major source of funding for statistical methodology research relevant to the health sciences through investigator-initiated research grants. Less well known is that NIH has a variety of mechanisms, which vary according to purpose and target audience.

These are the highlights of the December issue of the Journal of the American Statistical Association. Included is a special message from outgoing editor, David Banks.

The Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute is operating two research programs this year with a record number of participants.

Last summer, three graduate students traveled to the National Institute of Statistical Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, to team up with postdoctoral fellows, researchers from the National Agricultural Statistics Services, and university professors. Here, each student tells of his or her internship experience.

The department of biostatistics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill turned 60 in October. More than 300 faculty, students, friends, and alumni gathered at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center’s Carolina Club for a five-day celebration that included lectures on cutting-edge developments in biostatistical theory and applications.