On behalf of the organizations we lead, the Population Association of America and Association of Population Centers, we thank Dr. Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH), for his many years of dedication and committed public service. 
NIH is the primary source of discretionary, competitive funding for the population sciences. To that end, our field is indebted to Dr. Collins for leading the NIH, particularly during challenging and uncertain periods of time. During his lengthy tenure, among other things, Dr. Collins selected qualified individuals to lead the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and supported the inclusion of the behavioral and social sciences in various trans-NIH initiatives. For these actions, PAA and APC are especially grateful.
We wish Dr. Collins well in his retirement and, once again, thank him for consistently and expertly leading the agency during his 12 years as the NIH Director.
Robert Hummer, PAA President
Sara Curran, APC President