Between 1998 and 2003, Congress doubled the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and that critical infusion of financial support helped scientists across the country reach higher and push harder than ever before. Among the results were the completion of the human genome project; the deployment of powerful new research tools that have opened up new worlds of scientific possibility; and a feeling that we are poised to transform medicine and effectively prevent, rather than just treat, many illnesses and diseases.
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| Jill Rafael-Fortney, PhD, gives testimony to the Senate Committee Hearing in Washington D.C. on why flat NIH-funding for research is devastating for junior researchers. |
In 2003, however, the budget increases stopped and inflation began to erode the purchasing power of the NIH. In FY 2008, the NIH is experiencing an unprecedented fifth consecutive flat or below-inflation budget. In competition for limited resources, scientists at every point along the academic research pipeline are feeling the destructive effects. Currently, only one in four original research applications to the NIH are being funded, and many of those are funded only after lengthy delays and cumbersome reapplications.
Congress renewed its commitment to U.S. biomedical research just a decade ago. The countless basic research discoveries from that period of healthy budget increases are finding their way to the clinic. Now is certainly not the time to pull up stakes. America’s early career scientists need to hear that the U.S. intends to maintain its vibrant research enterprise, and in turn, its leadership in science. They need to be given the support to do the research they’ve been trained to do. A return to consistent and robust funding—that substantially overcomes inflation—is critical to fix the broken pipeline and set the U.S. back on course to fulfilling the promise of basic research and improve the health of all people.
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| Jill Rafael-Fortney, PhD, greets Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, after giving testimony in front of a Senate Committee Hearing. |
Ohio State University Medical Center was asked to participate in a national campaign to raise awareness of lawmakers in Washington D.C. about the devastating effects of flat NIH funding for research. Harvard led the charge and partnering with Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Duke, Partners Healthcare, Brown and UCLA developed an informational brochure. Featured in the brochures are photos and testimonials from Ohio State researchers Drs. Jill Rafael-Fortney, Denis Guttridge and Larry Schlesinger.
The brochure was launched on March 11, 2008 with a visit to lawmakers in Washington D.C. for testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Attending the session were Dr. Rafael-Fortney, Dr. Caroline Whitacre, Dr. Wiley "Chip" Souba, Chancellor Eric Fingerhut and Jerry Friedman. Dr. Rafael-Fortney was asked to give testimony before the Senate on how challenges in NIH funding have impacted her promising research efforts. The session can be viewed online as well as Dr. Rafael-Fortney's testimony.