The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) held its annual extramural Scientific Planning Retreat on April 29, 2016. NIAMS leadership, extramural program directors, and other NIH and NIAMS staff discussed

• Data that staff could consider when proposing topics that might benefit from targeted funding opportunity announcements,
• The extent to which the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) prepares arthritis, musculoskeletal, and skin researchers for careers as independent investigators, and whether the program should be modified to better meet our community’s needs, and
• How the NIAMS rehabilitation medicine research portfolio complements and can leverage other rehabilitation research activities at the NIH.