Often described by his colleagues as "A Beacon of Light for Biomedical Research in the Nation," Dr. Sidney A. McNairy, Jr.'s achievements were recognized at a retirement party given in his honor by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD.

A former Director of the Division of Research Infrastructure (DRI) for the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at NIH, Dr. McNairy has been the driving force behind the success of a number of innovative federal grant programs that help strengthen biomedical research infrastructure at both emerging and research-intensive biomedical institutions throughout the U.S. and its territories.

Because of Dr. McNairy's numerous contributions to the RCMI Program and to the biomedical research agenda of the nation, the 13th RCMI International Symposium on Health Disparities Symposium (December 9-13, 2012) was dedicated in his honor.