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Worries Over Research Funding
10/30/2008
 Bioscience Career Review
Worries Over Research Funding
By John Chambers
While U.S. biosciences are growing, some funding for research is expected to shrink.
Still despite any losses, state leaders and others praise the industry's potential. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed a $1 billion biotech initiative this year and urged states to support research as they look for ways to save money during a slowing economy.
Arizona, Maryland, Florida and other areas boast similar programs.
It takes “political will and courage to make those long-term commitments” and show scientists around the globe that a region is serious about funding research, Patrick told The Arizona Republic.
Science and medical leaders encourage this sentiment, especially as real estate and other industries have been severely impacted by job loss and economic fatigue.
"We need to be more vigilant and more active. The worst thing a major nonprofit can do is be quiet. We need to remain on people's minds and in their planning, and be respectful of their timelines,” Karen Jensen told the Orlando Business Journal last month.
The Vice President of Development at Orland Health Foundation said her organization is looking for funding from federal programs as well as from grants and corporations.
"The trends are frightening. We have been focused on the critical importance of cancer research. Our numbers are actually up this year. We would like to see that trend continue.”
Funding for AIDS research also grew this year, but experts believe they may not see the same increases in fiscal 2009.
The National Institutes of Health’s AIDS budget was $1.5 billion this year. That is a jump from $703 million in 1998 and $223 million in the late 1980s.
“The economic downturn has added to the gloom among experts deeply frustrated by research setbacks. A recent trial showed that one potential (AIDS) vaccine not only failed to prevent infection but appeared to increase the risk of contracting the virus,” the Associated Press states. “Now there is added concern that philanthropic organizations, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who have become major players in health and development projects may cut back on funding.”
Still, the Gates Foundation released details last week of an initiative to support research efforts of more than 100 scientists in 22 countries. The plan’s $100,000 grants will be distributed over five years to fund areas that include HIV research. The progress of each recipient will be measured after a year, potentially allowing several to apply for a $1 million award to conduct medical research.
While these grants may help compensate for less government funding, the money is still a fraction of the Gates Foundation’s $3 billion in annual giving.
Research cuts are on top of high U.S. defense expenses and a freeze on federal spending until early next year. However, similar to the Gates Foundation's recent announcement, there appears to be a silver lining in disappointing budgetary news.
Research funding for basic science could increase to more than $2 billion by 2011.
To reach those levels, an individual 2009 budget for the U.S. Department of Defense sets aside $1.84 billion for basic research, an increase of $208 million over this year’s fiscal amount.
Bioscience opportunities are also expected to grow in areas such as medicine, computational biology, agriculture and engineering, but time will tell how research funding will affect potential job growth and industry expansion.
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