AAMC Says Lack Of NIH Funding Growth Threatens Research Progress

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 19 Dec 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., president and chief executive officer of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges), issued the following statement on the FY 2008 domestic spending bill, which includes $28.9 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

"The minimal increase for the NIH, included in the omnibus legislation, threatens the momentum of medical research progress. If this bill is approved, as anticipated, funding for the NIH will fail to keep pace with biomedical inflation for the fifth year in a row, and valuable opportunities to advance medical knowledge will be lost.

The AAMC is particularly frustrated with this outcome for the NIH, given that members from both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate approved a conference agreement in early November that provided a $900 million (3.1 percent) increase for the NIH. Despite this strong bipartisan support, the White House's insistence on an unrealistic spending cap has resulted in what is essentially a freeze on all domestic spending.

While the AAMC and our member medical schools and teaching hospitals are deeply disappointed with the lack of overall growth in the NIH's budget, we want to thank Chairman Obey and Chairman Harkin for guiding the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill through what unfortunately became a protracted and contentious process. Because of their leadership, the NIH received $613 million more than President Bush's original 2008 budget request.

Going forward, it is essential to sustain our nation's investment in medical research through predictable increases in the NIH budget that at least keep pace with the rate of biomedical inflation. We look forward to working with Congress and the administration to achieve this goal."

The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 126 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians.

Association of American Medical Colleges