Courtesy: Research!America
With the release of his FY 2011 budget proposal, President Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to science and research by making them a priority amid efforts to limit spending. Although Obama recommended a freeze on the part of the budget that includes research, he opted to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Science Foundation.
Under the president’s proposal, the overall NIH budget would increase 3.2% percent to $32.1 billion in FY 2011. This recommended boost to the budget is an excellent beginning to the priority-setting conversation that now moves to Congress. Prior to the budget release, Research!America recommended $35 billion for NIH, which would sustain the research capacity made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NIH has been functioning with a $35 billion budget for two years, and our nation cannot afford to lose ground as it struggles to emerge from the recession.
Maintaining an emphasis on evidence- based medicine, Obama proposed $611 million for AHRQ, a 53.9% increase. Of this, $286 million is allocated for comparative effectiveness research. Obama is keeping the NSF on a budget doubling track by recommending $7.4 billion, an 8.0% increase. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not fare as well, with the president recommending a 1.9% cut in core funding to $6.6 billion.
Research!America’s Mary Woolley was quoted on the proposed budget by MSNBC.com‘s health section, Bloomberg News and The Scientist NewsBlog. Woolley said she looks forward to working with Congress to ensure sustained investment in research so the U.S. maintains its leadership in R&D and innovation. She said it is particularly important to invest in research now as countries such as China increase their research spending.
Research!America’s FY 2011 recommendation for NIH was cited in Science Magazine‘s blog ScienceInsider, Nature Medicine‘s blog Spoonful of Medicine, Chemistry World magazine and the Houston Chronicle-hosted Baker Institute blog.
- Research!America
