Over $10 Billion from Stimulus Fund to Medical Science

President Barack Obama has proposed that $10.4 billion of the $787 billion stimulus fund be allocated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This will increase previous funding by about 30 percent and over 15,000 medical scientists are vying for an increase in funding to their cause or research.

The NIH is made up of 27 different research organizations and is the largest provider of grant money for colleges, universities, medical research companies and hospitals in the United States. The increase in funding is hoped to create more jobs and medical discoveries. Many scientists are excited by the prospect. Richard Marchase, the President of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology says, “So many important discoveries are on the cusp of being made.”

Schools and institutions across the country are already working on their grant applications. At the University of Chicago, it is reported that over 200 individual applications have been filled out requesting an increase in research funding. The increase would go to support research in the areas of lung cancer, breast cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Princeton University is asking for an increase to study genomics, molecular biology among other areas. The NIH’s typical annual budget is around $29 billion. Already this year the budget has been increased by $1.4 billion before factoring in the stimulus money.

Diseases such as mesothelioma can affect thousands each year. The increase funding will help to find answers to these currently incurable diseases. Malignant mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of the illness typically take 20 to 50 years to appear. While there is no cure, treatments involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

Source: www.bloomberg.com