Discover the Science of Health
A recent analysis shows that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget, adjusted for inflation, was $6 billion less in 2013 than it was ten years ago, and the number of research grants awarded by the NIH has fallen to the lowest level in 15 years.
In his State of the Union address last month, President Barack Obama reaffirmed the prioritization of science and technology in his plans for the nation’s future. The President’s new economic plan calls for maintaining a commitment to funding research and development that can improve our quality of life.
Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, inventor, entrepreneur, author and pacifist [1]. He was born on October 21st, 1833. After his death in 1896, much of his estate was used to establish the Nobel Prize. In 1993 on the 160th anniversary of Nobel’s birth, President Bill Clinton proclaimed October 21st as “National Biomedical Research Day” [2].
On National Biomedical Research Day, we celebrate the central role that biomedical research plays in improving human health and longevity. On this day, we acknowledge the promise that biomedical research plays for securing the future physical and mental well-being of people around the world. Biomedical research not only provides data that scientists and physicians need to treat and prevent diseases, but it also reveals the fundamental nature of life in humans, other animals, and plants.
The National Institutes of Health recently announced that it is awarding $143.8 million to challenge the status quo with innovative ideas that have the potential to propel fields forward and speed the translation of research into improved health for the American public.
These awards are granted under three innovative research programs supported by the NIH Common Fund: the NIH Director’s Pioneer, New Innovator, and Transformative Research Projects Awards. The Common Fund, enacted into law by Congress through the 2006 NIH Reform Act, supports trans-NIH programs with a particular emphasis on innovation and risk taking.
This Friday, the U.S. House appropriations subcommittee that determines funding for National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) will make their funding recommendation for fiscal year 2012.
It is critically important that you urge your congressional members to fight for increased investment in medical research in FY 2012 (link below). Here’s why: biomedical research and the biotechnology industry is a major driver of the U.S. economy and has been for the past 30 years [1]. Despite budgetary constraints, America cannot afford to fall behind when it comes to investing in biomedical research and America’s future. These investments are crucial to overcome the health challenges facing our nation and to create the jobs that will help revitalize our economy.
