Discover the Science of Health
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.
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.
Health research plays an essential role in the nation’s economic growth while improving health for patients in the United States and around the world. A recent public opinion survey commissioned by Research!America indicates that up to 78% of Americans think it is important that the U.S. work to improve health globally through research and development and 76% think global health R&D is important to the U.S. economy [1]. Moreover, 61% of respondents say that accelerating our nation’s investment in research to improve health is a priority.
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Barack Obama presented the United States with a vision of a better future through investment in education, infrastructure, and research. The president noted that fifty years ago American innovation played a pivotal role in the nation’s history and today holds promise for addressing the many challenges the country faces. “Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to America’s success,” he said during his State of the Union address, calling for investments in biomedical research, education, information technology and clean energy technology [1].
This week, Congress is working to reconcile biomedical research funding differences in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. According to ProPublica, the Senate bill would spend substantially more on biomedical research than the House bill (10 billion vs. 900 million USD).
It is imperative that you urge your congressional members to support biomedical research as a critical driver of our economy. Here’s why: the biotechnology industry is a major driver of the U.S. economy and has been for the past 30 years [1]. Federal granting agencies have “shovel-ready” projects that will promote economic growth today — those research projects will help fight disease and improve the quality of life for everyone in America tomorrow.
