“My colleagues and I are very pleased to provide administrative support and partake in the mission of the NIH and NIAMS.” —Tondalayo Royster, extramural program administrative officerTondalayo

Standing solidly behind the many scientific discoveries our grantees and intramural researchers make is a corps of individuals who make it all possible—our administrative support staff. Without their dedication, the process of science would slow to a crawl. Through their efforts and expertise, NIAMS scientists and other staff are empowered to:

• Attend and host meetings and conferences;
• Present and publicize scientific successes;
• Obtain personnel, equipment and supplies;
• Understand regulations and how to apply them;
• Oversee their budgets.

Our administrative support staff is constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, searching for new products to bring about improvements and accessing the training needed to upgrade present skills and acquire new ones. They are truly the “backbone” of our institute.