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November 1, 2016 marks the 50th 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.

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