Monthly Archives: February, 2013

A Weekly Advocacy Message from Mary Woolley: After sequestration, will research be protected in the budget battles?

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Dear Research Advocate,

To say that the attention paid to sequestration is extraordinary is to understate the case, but there has not been enough public outcry to force meaningful congressional action. It is highly unlikely that a rabbit will be pulled out of a hat between now and 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night. Damage will be done, and meanwhile the political playing field switches to a new month and new, related and ever-deepening crises. Possibly the only good news is that the media has ratcheted up coverage of the impact of sequestration on medical research, with stories about “cuts on top of cuts on top of cuts,” in the words of Eric Hoffman of Children’s National Medical Center, one of many who have spoken out. Former NIH Director and Research!America Board member Dr. Elias Zerhouni of Sanofi described sequestration as “impact[ing] science for generations to come.” FASEB, among many groups working to keep the story alive, has released state data, detailing NIH grant funding cuts that amount to more than $1.2 billion in lost research dollars. The Baltimore Sun recently ran a story highlighting how cuts may drive researchers overseas, with quotes from Research!America Board member and Nobel laureate Dr. Carol Grieder. Concern about global competitiveness is confirmed by a new Research!America poll of small business leaders, with other findings of note including two-thirds saying that federally funded basic research is important to private sector innovation. We have seen unprecedented attention to this data on Facebook, generating nearly 4,000 views in just one day. Write your representatives and use the poll data to convey the strong base of support for research — and the importance of making it a priority.

All advocates must be on alert for the budget battles of March, including funding for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends September 30, as well as the first salvos of the next fiscal year budget (2014). Three budgets will be presented – president, House and Senate. The questions are: Will the impact of sequestration be blunted during budget negotiations, and will research for health be a priority? We must all continue to work for that outcome, as individuals and as a community.

A Financial Times op-ed by Research!America member and MIT President Dr. Rafael Reif and Craig Barrett, former chairman of Intel, provides a concise and articulate summary of the consequences of cutting science — or, said another way, failing to prioritize it. They point out that the U.S. has an economic growth problem. They underscore the importance of investing in research and innovation as the way to reverse the downward trajectory of U.S. ranking in terms of R&D as a percentage of GDP among OECD countries and to return us to the level of national prosperity that thrives on the transformational ideas of young scientists. Other countries are using our playbook for economic growth; why aren’t we?

The NIH has released an operating plan should sequestration take effect. For the remainder of the current fiscal year, the NIH will likely reduce funding levels for continuing grants and will make fewer competing awards. All Institutes and Centers will be subject to a budget reduction, with each institute or center director having discretion over which programs to prioritize. The NSF has also released a statement; the agency will reduce the number of new grants in FY13 by 1,000 due to sequestration. All continuing FY13 grants will be awarded and existing grants will not be reduced.

Lastly, we mourn the loss of Research!America’s Honorary Director Dr. C. Everett Koop, a charismatic Surgeon General who forcefully called attention to our nation’s major health threats. He was a magnificent champion of research. His legacy is second to none. Read our statement here.

Sincerely,

Mary Woolley

Posted in: Advocacy Messages, Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, Basic Research/Basic Science, Bridging the Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Economic Impact, Food & Drug Administration, Health Services Research, Innovation/Competitiveness, Mary Woolley, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Public Opinion, Research Advocacy, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today is Rare Disease Day

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On February 28, Rare Disease Day, more than 60 countries and hundreds of organizations come together to raise awareness of the plight of those afflicted with rare diseases. Although rare diseases affect more than 100 million people worldwide, there is limited public awareness and insufficient research funding to develop tools to prevent and treat these diseases.

This year, the theme of the day is “Rare Disorders Without Borders.” Advances in rare disease research are far more likely to succeed if teams of researchers from different countries pool resources, share findings and work together to find new solutions.

There are clear parallels between these rare diseases and neglected tropical diseases, such as Chagas disease and dengue fever, that are afflicting people throughout tropical regions and increasingly closer to home. These diseases are not widely known, which often leads to misdiagnoses and delayed treatment. This lack of awareness results in very little funding for research in widespread prevention and treatment. It is abundantly clear that more research is needed to better deal with these rare and neglected diseases.

On the Rare Disease Day website, you can find the Handprints Across America gallery of patients and their families. The disease names may be unfamiliar to you—scleroderma, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Pompe disease, Leiber’s congenital amaurosis, and familial partial lipodystrophy Dunnigan syndrome just to name a few. But the stories paint a clear picture of the impact of rare diseases on families across the nation and around the world. More patient photos and stories can be found on Rare Disease Day’s Flickr photostream.

Research!America members like the National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD) and the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association (AARDA), are celebrating this year’s Rare Disease Day in addition to marking the 30th anniversary of the Orphan Drug Act. The Orphan Drug Act provides financial incentives to encourage companies to develop treatments for small patient populations. Passage of the Orphan Drug Act by was successful in large part due to patient advocates and other organizations working together. However, research and advocacy are still needed for these rare and neglected diseases! Check out the Rare Disease Day page to see how you can support the rare disease community.

Other research and advocacy groups are also spreading the word about Rare Disease Day. Groups and individuals on Twitter are using the hashtag #rarediseaseday. Also see the newest blog post from National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD. The NIH is hosting the sixth annual Rare Disease Day on Feb. 28 and March 1. The two-day event will highlight the work of the NIH-funded researchers, agency partnerships and collaboration among researchers across the globe.

Posted in: Basic Research/Basic Science, Clinical Research, Global and Public Health R&D, National Institutes of Health, Research Advocacy | Tagged: , , , , ,

GHTC Briefing Highlights Importance of Federally Funded Global Health Research

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Research!America’s booth at GHTC briefing

On February 26, the Global Health Technologies Coalition held a Capitol Hill briefing, “Renewing US leadership: Policies to advance global health research.” The briefing included displays from global health nonprofits, the launch of GHTC’s fourth annual policy report as well as a panel discussion. Panelists included Dr. Lee Hall, Chief of Parasitology and International Programs at NIAID, Dr. Alan Magill, Director of Malaria at the Gates Foundation and Dr. Caroline Ryan, Deputy Coordinator for Technical Leadership at PEPFAR. Each highlighted key U.S. contributions to global health including the development of a rapid TB diagnostic, advances in HIV/AIDS treatment and delivery through PEPFAR and a new treatment for leishmaniasis developed in part by researchers at the Department of Defense.  Speakers pointed out that many of these medical breakthroughs were accomplished through leveraging U.S. government funding and working in public-private partnerships. All speakers expressed concern that cutting federal funding for global health research could jeopardize progress for these lifesaving tools.

In particular, Alan Magill warned of “breaking something that will be very difficult to put back together.” Speaker and moderator Lisa Cohen, Executive Director of the Washington Global Health Alliance, wrapped up the session citing Research!America poll data and reminding us that there is incredible support for this work – we just need to connect the dots for decision makers and funders. “78% of Americans think it is important to support global health research – we don’t think about this but when Americans are asked, it is clear that people care about these issues.”

–Morgan McCloskey, global health intern

Posted in: Basic Research/Basic Science, Economic Impact, Global and Public Health R&D, Health Services Research, Prevention & Public Health, Research Advocacy, Research Investment/Funding, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Speak up or Watch out: Why medical research is at risk with Sequestration

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It’s all over the news: The federal government is headed for significant, across-the-board budget cuts. Sequestration, or 10 years of automatic spending cuts, is a self-inflicted consequence passed by Congress, aimed to be a drastic outcome of failing to agree on a federal deficit-reduction package. Some Members of Congress argue that the sequester will not have a significant impact; they claim that the 5.1% cuts made in 2013 are only a drop in the bucket and there is no need to worry. However, the amount of money that the National Institutes of Health will lose, $1.56 billion, could fund the entire National Institute of Mental Health for more than a year. Cuts to the National Science Foundation total $359 million, more than 80% of the entire FY12 budget from NSF for homeland security research, including emergency planning and response. Research!America’s fact sheet on the effects of sequestration on these agencies, as well as the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control can be found here.

What will cuts to NIH, NSF and other agencies mean to biomedical and health research?

The NIH and NSF fund the basic science that fuels medical innovation and the health services research that enables smart policy making by all levels of government and by health care providers in support of high-quality health care delivery. The CDC funds an enormous range of research and public health services essential to the basic health and safety of Americans. Cuts to these agencies will compromise medical progress, stymie deficit reduction and render it more difficult to reinvigorate our economy. Cuts to public health funding, which is already inadequate, will degrade the foundation for safe and healthy communities across our nation. In short, these cuts will have dramatic impact on the health of our nation. Polls commissioned by Research!America consistently show that Americans highly value medical research and would even pay higher taxes if they knew the dollars would be devoted to that research. And we will never bend the health care cost curve without medical research to overcome disabling and costly conditions like Alzheimer’s and health services research to identify and evaluate viable and patient-sensitive cost savings strategies.

Finally, cuts to funding for biomedical and health research jeopardize the product of years of investment in our nation’s research capabilities. Those investments have produced the most sophisticated and productive medical research enterprise in the world. If funding declines, so will opportunities for young scientists. So will the capacity for our nation’s researchers to break new ground. So will the pipeline that fuels private sector innovation and jobs.

Think about it: Advances in ongoing and promising medical research will invariably be halted due to a lack of funds for these projects. One such project is ongoing research at Georgetown’s Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC. There, researchers have worked for years on a preventative strategy for breast cancer focused on anti-estrogen treatment, and this work is ready to move into clinical trials. Without funding, this lifesaving research could be halted. A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the frequency of metastatic breast cancer is on the rise in young women, a troubling trend in light of the threat to biomedical and health research funding.

So what can we do?

Contact your representatives in Congress and tell them how important it is to STOP sequestration! Click here to send an email now.

Sign the petition from AAAS to “Speak Up for Science.”

Share these resources with your professional network, and encourage your peers to speak up for research now!

Posted in: Advocacy Messages, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Economic Impact, Food & Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Prevention & Public Health, Public Opinion, Research Advocacy, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sequestration is not a Smart Strategy for Reducing the Deficit, Say Small Business Leaders

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Most Say Federally Funded Basic Research is Important to Private Sector Innovation

Alexandria, Va.—February 26, 2013— More than two-thirds (67%) of small business leaders say basic research funded by the federal government is important to private sector innovation, according to a new nationwide survey of small business owners/operators commissioned by Research!America. In addition, nearly half (45%) say medical research funding to universities and other non-governmental research institutions should not be cut as part of sequestration, and a plurality (40%) say that such across-the-board cuts are not a smart strategy for reducing the deficit.

The survey findings also reveal that small businesses support the federal government’s role in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Seventy percent of respondents say STEM education is important to the future of their business and the federal government should increase funding for those programs.

“It is striking that small business owners, the backbone of our economy comprising nearly 80% of business leaders nationwide, strongly value federal support for research and recognize the major role it plays in spurring private sector growth,” said Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley.

A majority of respondents (85%) say it’s very important or somewhat important to reduce the federal debt and deficit and to cut federal corporate and individual tax rates (81%). Among the top strategies for deficit reduction are entitlement reform (25%), eliminating targeted corporate tax breaks (22%) and closing tax loopholes (21%). Seventy-seven percent say the rising cost of health care, a major chunk of our national debt, is important to their businesses, a concern that mirrors other components of the economy as well as individuals. A huge majority, 80%, say it’s important for the government to support research that focuses on making our health care system more efficient.

The concern of small business owners is strikingly evident as it relates to our nation’s world leadership status, with 90% describing research and development as important to our global competitiveness.

“Small business owners understand the critical role of federal government in giving small businesses a launching pad that includes the stimulus of innovation based on federally supported research and development,” added Woolley. “Deep cuts to medical research funding would be detrimental to small businesses, our nation’s economy and global competitiveness if policy makers allow the sequester to take effect.”

The nationwide survey of small business owners/operators was conducted by Zogby Analytics for Research!America. Based on a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error for the panel of 203 business owners is +/-7.0 percentage points.

To view the poll, visit: www.researchamerica.org/uploads/Feb2013smallbizsurvey.pdf

About Research!America polls

Research!America began commissioning polls in 1992 in an effort to understand public support for medical, health and scientific research. The results of Research!America’s polls have proven invaluable to our alliance of member organizations and, in turn, to the fulfillment of our mission to make research to improve health a higher national priority. In response to growing usage and demand, Research!America has expanded its portfolio, which includes state, national and issue-specific polling. Poll data is available by request or at www.researchamerica.org.

About Research!America

Research!America  is the nation’s largest nonprofit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Founded in 1989, Research!America is supported by member organizations representing 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.

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Posted in: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, Basic Research/Basic Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Economic Impact, Food & Drug Administration, Innovation/Competitiveness, Mary Woolley, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Public Opinion, Research Advocacy, Research Investment/Funding, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Statement from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley on Passing of Dr. C. Everett Koop

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February 26, 2013

The Board of Directors of Research!America joins me in extending our deepest condolences to Dr. C. Everett Koop’s family, friends and colleagues as we mourn the passing of a visionary leader and champion of medical research. Dr. Koop was well-respected and revered by scientists, the public health community and the public at large, thanks to his unceasing commitment to strengthening government support for research to address health threats. As U.S. Surgeon General, he was known as “America’s Family Doctor.” Notably, by promoting fitness and raising awareness of disease prevention and immunization, he encouraged individuals to take an active role in their health. Koop’s innovative thinking saved lives and improved quality of life for many Americans as he sounded the alarm on the deadly health effects of smoking and the most challenging health issues of our time, making an extraordinary commitment to raising awareness about, and determination to combat, HIV/AIDS. After serving two terms as Surgeon General, Dr. Koop was named honorary director of Research!America. In 1994, he partnered with us to create a widely viewed national public service campaign in support of medical research. Nearly 20 years later, the campaign is still recognized for its impactful message that “insufficient medical research can be hazardous to your health.” His leadership served to elevate the importance of research and public health in our national conversation with unparalleled success. His legacy is second to none.

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Posted in: Global and Public Health R&D, Mary Woolley, Personalized Medicine, Prevention & Public Health, Research Advocacy, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , ,

A Weekly Advocacy Message from Mary Woolley: When “kicking the can down the road” is better than the alternative

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Dear Research Advocate,

Medical research advocates are being heard by those urging a halt to across-the-board budget cuts scheduled to go into effect March 1; your voices are being picked up in the media and echoed by decision makers. But as the deadline approaches, no progress has been made, with many Members of Congress insisting that sequestration go forward. As much as we, and the public at large, have railed against Congress when it “kicks the can down the road,” this is a time to call for just that! Delaying sequestration would create the opportunity (of course, not the promise) of a “grand bargain” before the continuing resolution ends March 27. (In order to avoid shutting down the government, Congress must act before that date. It may be another case of kick-the-can, extending funding until the end of the fiscal year on September 30.) What advocates must push for right now is to eliminate sequestration in favor of prioritization and pragmatism. Email your representatives, sign this petition from AAAS, and stop sequestration. When you reach out to your representatives, use our revised fact sheet and make sure to highlight how sequester would impact your priorities. For other examples, see the just-released fact sheet on sequestration from The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) as well as Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s report.

The House subcommittee that sets funding levels for NIH, CDC and AHRQ wants to hear from you! On March 13, the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee is holding a public witness hearing. Requests to testify are due by Monday, February 25. This is an excellent opportunity to make your voice heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill. (Members of Research!America, let us know if we can help draft a request letter!)

The New York Times reported Monday that the White House is planning to launch a decade-long project led by the NIH to unravel the core functions of the brain. NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins spoke about the Brain Activity Map on PBS’s Newshour last evening. Scientists are hoping that the project will provide $300 million in funding per year for a decade or more, with the end goal of understanding what goes wrong in the brain and how this leads to some of the most insidious and expensive diseases plaguing Americans and the world. The price tag is daunting, and it will be important to ensure this project doesn’t supplant other critical research, but there is no doubt that cracking the code to the numerous diseases of the brain would be a breathtaking advance in modern medicine.

Speaking of spectacular research, the richest research prize ever has been announced. The winners will receive a prize of $3 million each in recognition of their high impact research. This headline-grabbing announcement helps put faces on science and remind the country of its value, perhaps inspiring young Americans to pursue a career in research. But awards are not enough to stop the onslaught of growing public health threats like Alzheimer’s and other diseases, especially when many policy makers are prepared to allow sequestration to occur. We need to reinvest in our innovative capacity, not cut it off at a time of immense opportunity for health breakthroughs and research-driven economic growth.

Sincerely,

Mary Woolley

Posted in: Advocacy Messages, Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, Basic Research/Basic Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Economic Impact, Food & Drug Administration, Innovation/Competitiveness, Mary Woolley, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Research Advocacy, Research Investment/Funding, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Brace for cuts to your local health department

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The impact of sequestration will translate into reduced local and state funding to protect your health and safety. In a recent CQ article (CDC Director Frieden Predicts Local Public Health Cuts Under Sequester – subscription required), CDC Director Thomas Frieden reminded us that the vast majority of the agency’s funding goes out to local and state health departments. These frontline health providers identify and protect us from threats like the flu, foodborne outbreaks, contaminated water, road traffic injuries, and new pathogens. The problem is that we don’t know what we’re missing until it’s too late because these frontline health workers are usually silent heroes.

Take action against sequestration now – http://capwiz.com/ram/home/. To thank our public health heroes and raise awareness of public health, please visit http://www.researchamerica.org/ph_thank_you and http://www.cphfoundation.org/.

–Jennifer Chow, Director, Global Health R&D and Public Health Advocacy

Posted in: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global and Public Health R&D, Prevention & Public Health, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , ,

A Weekly Advocacy Message from Mary Woolley: SOTU and – now what??

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Dear Research Advocate,

Setting a breathtaking goal for Congress and the nation, the president called for returning our nation to levels of R&D investment not seen since the height of the space race in his State of the Union address Tuesday evening. He spoke of the potential to defeat Alzheimer’s and to assure an “AIDS-free generation”; and he used the human genome project to illustrate the economic as well as human return on taxpayer investment in research. We were thrilled that the president listed medical research among the nation’s top priorities – along with defense, education and energy – right at the beginning of his speech, when he described the devastating damage that sequestration would do to the things the nation values most. This is, I think, an indication that the hard work of the research advocacy community in driving our research-as-a-priority message is paying off, just as we saw in media coverage of the Save Research advocacy campaign we launched after the election with many of our partners in advocacy. Our voices are being heard! It is time to thank the president, and it’s also time to urge Congress to take action. We must strongly advocate avoiding any proposal that threatens U.S. biomedical innovation, public or private sector-driven. See highlights of the science portions of the president’s speech and our press statement.

Speaking, as the president did, of Alzheimer’s, did you know that the annual cost of Alzheimer’s is $200 billion? By 2050, that number is expected to rocket to $1 trillion! To address the looming threat of across-the-board funding cuts, USAgainstAlzheimers has launched a major advocacy push, sending thousands of letters to Congress, leading a sign-on letter of researchers, and running a full-page ad in Roll Call.

As pointed out by columnist Robert McCartney in The Washington Post, television and radio this morning, biomedical research will be hurt by sequestration as much as defense, right here in the National Capital Area. He quoted NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins extensively and also cited Children’s National Medical Center’s Dr. Eric Hoffman, whose important work on muscular dystrophy has stalled as NIH has held back funding until decisions are made by Congress. Meanwhile, patients are waiting. The idea that Dr. Hoffman’s work – and all of medical research, as well as education, energy and defense and much more – is considered “discretionary” is more than revealing, it is unacceptable to Americans.

Fighting to avoid sequestration, the defense and non-defense communities held a joint event this week to highlight the dangers posed by sequestration, as reported in CQ Roll Call. Leaders from the aerospace industry along with members of the university, health, and science community released new estimates demonstrating that sequestration could rob the American economy of 2 million jobs, causing another recession. Also bringing the message home, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) held a Q&A session with federal workers at the NIH, saying that sequestration would lead to the loss of 100,000 jobs, considering both Bethesda-based NIH employees and businesses that work with them.

Have you brought the message home, so that your representative and senators are hearing it and will act? We can help – contact your representatives and email our science policy director, Max G. Bronstein, to learn about other ways boost your engagement. Only 15 days until the March 1st sequestration deadline.

Sincerely,

Mary Woolley

Posted in: Advocacy Messages, Basic Research/Basic Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Economic Impact, Food & Drug Administration, Innovation/Competitiveness, Mary Woolley, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Research Advocacy, Research Investment/Funding, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stay away from this kisser on Valentine’s Day

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You may be familiar with chocolate kisses and candy hearts on Valentine’s Day, but have you ever heard of “kissing bugs?” These insects, found throughout Latin America and parts of the United States, transmit Chagas disease, a parasitic infection that can lead to heart disease in both humans and animals. Chagas infects up to 10 million people worldwide and is a growing problem here in the U.S. It is estimated that 300,000 individuals here at home have Chagas and the disease costs the U.S. nearly $1 billion annually in lost productivity and health care costs. Some experts are also concerned about the growing number of animals with Chagas infections. A recent study showed that in Louisiana, up to 60% of dogs in some kennels have tested positive for Chagas. The Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio has reported Chagas in military working dogs, and several dogs overseas have actually had to return home because of symptoms from the disease, leaving the units they supported without explosive detection dogs. Clearly this is just one small part of the global story of Chagas as the disease costs thousands of lives and imposes a significant economic burden on all affected countries, most notably in Latin America. More research is necessary to better understand the true impact of Chagas in both animals and people and to develop more effective tools to combat this potentially deadly disease worldwide.

–Morgan McCloskey, global health intern

Posted in: Global and Public Health R&D | Tagged: , , , , , ,

Statement from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley on the State of the Union Address

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February 13, 2013

Research!America applauds President Obama for underscoring medical research as a national priority, along with defense and education. We’re gratified that he stressed the brutal impact of sequestration, across-the-board cuts, to medical research and reminded the country of goals within the reach of science, such as the promise of an “AIDS-free generation” and cures for deadly and debilitating diseases like Alzheimer’s. Issuing a clear challenge to the nation and the Congress, he spoke of the need to increase investments in science and innovation to a level “not seen since the Space Race.”  We agree that educating young people in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is a necessity to maintain a robust research ecosystem that fosters ingenuity and creativity and strengthens our global competitiveness. The president’s emphasis on STEM and medical research reflects the sentiments of large majorities of the American public and should not only register bipartisan applause lines but translate into the elimination of sequestration and the launch of a new Moon Shot befitting the global R&D leadership of our nation.

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Posted in: Advocacy Messages, Basic Research/Basic Science, Innovation/Competitiveness, Mary Woolley, Research Advocacy, Research Investment/Funding, Research!America | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Task Force for Global Health Receives Grant for NTD Research

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On February 5, the Task Force for Global Health, a non-profit based in Decatur, Georgia announced that it received a $28.8 million, five-year grant from the Gates Foundation for neglected tropical disease research. This funding will support the new Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center and will allow the center to work with the NTD community to address challenges in implementing NTD control programs. The Center will focus primarily on operational research and will work to develop new solutions to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of NTD interventions. The grant will also support the development of a “Coalition for Operational Research for NTDs,” which will allow for more collaboration between international NTD researchers. Awarded just over a year after the London Declaration on NTDs, this grant is an important step forward in the fight against NTDs as it “will support the research needed to eliminate and control these dreaded diseases.”

-Morgan McCloskey, global health intern

Posted in: Global and Public Health R&D | Tagged: , , , ,

New Report Highlights Economic Burden of Chagas

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On February 7, The Lancet Infectious Diseases published an enlightening report on the global economic impact of Chagas disease. Chagas, a parasitic disease transmitted through insects called “kissing bugs,” infects nearly 10 million people worldwide, including 300,000 here in the U.S. Some people can carry the disease without knowing they have it, while others can experience debilitating respiratory infections and potentially lethal heart complications. The study examines in detail both the global and domestic economic cost of Chagas disease, which rival better publicized infections such as Lyme disease, and illustrates the urgent need for research for new tools to fight this disease.

-Ian Bradley, Research!America intern

Posted in: Global and Public Health R&D | Tagged: , , , ,

We Need Cures, Not Cuts. A pre-SOTU conversation about sequestration’s impact to medical research

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Join Research!America and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for a pre-SOTU Twitter chat on Monday, February 11, 1 to 2 p.m. ET. Visit @ResearchAmerica and @ACSCAN on Twitter to follow Research!America President Mary Woolley and ACSCAN President Chris Hansen as they discuss important facts about sequestration and answer questions from participants. Use the hashtag #curesnotcuts in your tweets to join the conversation.

Posted in: Uncategorized

A Weekly Advocacy Message from Mary Woolley: Stop Sequestration, Take Action TODAY

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Dear Research Advocate,

The debate over how to stop sequestration rages on, with the president weighing in this week even as some influential Members of Congress hold fast to a do-nothing strategy. Now it’s time for us all to speak out! Along with our partners, we are pulling out the stops TODAY with a coordinated Day of Action. In just 10 minutes you can call and email your representatives, as well as congressional leadership. Then ask everyone in your networks — professional and personal — to do the same. Use this link to find our e-action alert and click here for access to congressional emails and phone numbers. Congress pays attention to volumes of communication; act now to assure that they know that sequestration is no way to drive the economy or improve health.

Research!America Board members and former Congressmen John Porter and Kweisi Mfume are speaking out with a timely op-ed in The Hill. The bottom line? Our nation must find its way to a fiscally sustainable path without sacrificing programs that improve our health and our economic prosperity. Former Governor John Engler, CEO of Business Roundtable (BRT), is calling for a pro-growth solution to the nation’s deficit; he points out that failure to act, and moving from one fiscal crisis to another, is counterproductive to sustained growth. A new report from BRT also speaks to the importance of our nation continuing to invest in STEM education and federal R&D.

Until the sequestration battle is resolved, likely at the 11th hour as usual, the media will be hungry for stories and examples of how sequestration could affect your community or your institutions. The Boston Globe has been providing ongoing coverage of impact in the greater Boston area, but media outlets in other parts of the country have yet to follow suit. It’s time to pitch your story to the media! Fortunately, compelling data and persuasive arguments for your op-ed, article or letter to the editor are easy to come by. United for Medical Research has just released a new report detailing what’s at stake: more than 20,000 jobs and $3 billion in economic output. Science Works for U.S. has put together an excellent video resource featuring research leaders from across the country speaking out about sequestration. See also this new report from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, providing chapter and verse on how federal funding pays off.

Media attention to State of the Union address on February 12 provides another opportunity to emphasize sequestration’s potentially devastating impact on research. Join Research!America and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for a pre-SOTU Twitter chat on Monday, February 11, 1 to 2 p.m. ET. Visit @ResearchAmerica and @ACSCAN on Twitter to follow me and ACSCAN President Chris Hansen as we discuss important facts about sequestration and answer questions from participants. Use the hashtag #curesnotcuts in your tweets to join the conversation.

In case you missed it, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) delivered a speech extolling the cost-controlling, as well as healing power, of research and called for cutting unnecessary red tape and for the repeal of the medical device tax. He described the federal government’s vital role in supporting basic medical research “appropriate.” But his remarks also called for “re-prioritizing” existing research spending, away from the social sciences. His remarks make it clear that advocates have our work cut out to connect the dots between social science research and controlling health care costs and saving lives.

Dr. Carolyn Clancy is stepping down from AHRQ after a distinguished 10-year record of improving health care delivery and ensuring that medical providers use up to date evidence-based practices. Read our press statement here. NSF Director Dr. Subra Suresh is also leaving his position. Dr. Suresh has been instrumental in fostering interdisciplinary collaborations throughout NSF and has worked to broaden participation in NSF-supported activities. You can read our press statement here. The Board of Research!America and I salute them for their outstanding public service, dedication to research and regular participation in our forums and other programs.

Sincerely,

Mary Woolley

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