NIH Funding Woes

Like most young faculty today, I am particularly concerned with the current funding levels of NIH grants in the US. Today I got this in the mail from AAAS (Science Magazine).

"Despite earlier reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee would consider a second fiscal year 2008 supplemental on July 24-with the likely inclusion of $500 million for the National Institutes of Health-Senate Appropriations chief Robert Byrd (D-WV) postponed that day's markups because of "the uncertainty in how the oil and gas drilling issue is currently playing out on the Senate floor." He then announced that the supplemental would have to wait until September for further discussion. This week the House plans to take up the FY 2009 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill and the House Appropriations defense panel is set to mark up its bill. As reported previously, Congress will not consider most appropriations bills until after the November elections." - AAAS Newsletter July 30, 2008.

My brain cant really understand why "oil and gas drilling " issues are more important than finding a cure for diabetes or cancer. It seems thought that producing gas 10 years down the road is much more important to your Congresspeople and President than saving peoples lives. Its a pretty depressing if you think about it.

Comments of this blog: 1 Comment Add Your Comment

marcia said:

There are many private companies each investing hundreds of millions of dollars to make us independent of oil. We will become independent, whether, it is 8, 10 12 years, it is going to happen.

How about this? Rather than investing in new sources of oil, which will take at least 10 years to access, let's put the money into curing diseases and reducing pain and let private industry come up with the oil solution. If the government wants to incentivize people to reduce consumption, such as rebates for buying hybrid cars that would be great.

I agree I don't see the connection.

What is the worst thing that can happen by giving researchers the money for finding more oil? I don't think anyone is going to complain when we significantly advance health and loved ones are saved, but we have to pay $7 per gallon for 3 years of our lives.

Posted on Jul 30, 2008 04:44 PM