RT Journal
A1 Boat TF
T1 INsights from trends in biomedical research funding
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2010
FD January 13
VO 303
IS 2
SP 170
OP 171
DO 10.1001/jama.2009.1992
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.1992
AB 
This extension reinforces previous findings and contributes new insights. First, all-source funding increased at a compound, inflation-adjusted annual rate of 7.8% from 1994-2003 but only of 3.4% in the subsequent 4 years. Second, inflation-adjusted National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for the 2 comparison periods declined more dramatically, from a doubling during the first 9 years, nearly all of which occurred from 1998-2003,2 to a negative annual rate of 2.2%. Viewed in the context of a 30-year annual NIH extramural funding increase of 4.8%,3 these data suggest that the biomedical research community has experienced a bust-boom-bust cycling of NIH funding during these 14 years, the consequences of which may never be fully delineated. Third, the recent NIH funding decrements have undoubtedly affected academic institutions most seriously. These institutions depend heavily on federal funding for support of biomedical research (65% of total funding), 85% of which is granted by the NIH.1 Fourth, funding from all other sources (state and local governments, private sources, industry) stayed ahead of inflation and mitigated to some extent the most recent decline of NIH funding. Comparable funding data for 2008 and 2009 are unlikely to be as robust for charitable organizations, foundations, industry, and state or local governments as the result of economy-driven shrinkage of endowments, philanthropy, business profits, and tax revenue. Indeed, industry funding in 2008 no longer compensated for declining NIH funding.1