A Golden Anniversary for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

November 1, 2016 marks the 50 anniversary of the establishment of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (the Division of Environmental Health Sciences was founded at this time and in January, 1969 it was elevated to institute status) (Hawkins, 1987). In the first week of December 2016, NIEHS will host the first ever Environmental Health Science FEST (EHS FEST; Facilities, Engagement, Science, and Training) in Durham, North Carolina, to commemorate this special milestone. The EHS FEST will bring together NIEHS-funded grantees and partners that span the range of environmental health sciences. The field of toxicology, the Society of Toxicology (SOT), and scientists interested in the adverse effects of chemicals on human health have all tremendously benefited from this component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) located in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The founding of NIEHS did more than just bolster research into the environmental contributors of disease; it was instrumental in the development of one of the most influential research and scientific parks in the world. Touted as one of the most successful settings for scientific and technical innovation, Research Triangle Park (RTP) has been home to NIEHS since 1966. NIEHS was one of the anchor tenants along with International Business Machines (IBM) and Chemstrand Corporation (inventors of Astroturf). The credibility of an NIH institute was critical to the formation and evolution of one of the most revered knowledge hubs in the world. The vertices that make the triangle of the RTP are represented by the three big academic research institutions: Duke University in Durham, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The fact that the geometry is anchored by institutions of higher education is both symbolic and a driver of what was envisioned to materialize within the triangle. Over the past few years, several Nobel Prizes have been awarded to scientists based in the RTP. Although it is difficult to determine the impact of the RTP on the recruitment and retention of those awardees, without the lure of the RTP many of these investigators may not have been drawn to this area. The establishment of NIEHS 50 years ago, and its continued presence, has catalyzed a level of discovery and knowledge that likely would not have occurred without it. Some have regarded the location of NIEHS outside of the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, as a disadvantage. However, that ignores the transformative impact that NIEHS has had on the Research Triangle Park area and the visionary planning of its founders. When the RTP was established, occupants were required to retain 95% of the land for greenspace. One can view the campus of NIEHS as a scientific oasis. Anyone who has walked the path around the lake or peered out at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientific headquarters over lunch recognizes the symbolic and real advantages of the location. This is especially true when one compares it with the stifling sprawl on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, the chaos of the Metro Red Line, and the hustle and bustle of life in the shadow of our nation’s capital. As we grapple with urban expansion, we see the prescience of this decision by the RTP leadership. Although there have been challenges in housing and commercial development, the RTP has come to exemplify the balance one strives for in land use and development. NIEHS within the RTP demonstrates the way to conduct top-notch technical research that is in harmony with nature. From a scientific perspective, NIEHS is special because of its invaluable commitment to basic and translational research as it relates to environmental impacts on health. For basic research scientists, NIEHS has steadfastly proven through its financial support that it recognizes that from basic sciences emerge medically relevant discoveries, and that the understanding of basic biological processes is essential for understanding the impact of environmental exposures on the development of disease and treatment. NIEHS stands as proof of the critical nature of a government-run agency in supporting research on how the environment affects people as to promote healthier lives. Although we have not