[ NEWS - FEATURE ]
The NIH is an economic powerhouse , and vital to the future health and financial well-being of our country . And it is medicine for our economy by protecting against medical disability which brings with it both lost productivity and the need for social welfare support .
The money funded to NIH is not a cost . It is , in every sense of the word , an out-performing ultrahigh-yield investment . Beyond economics , the value of healthier , happier , more productive , and longer lives is incalculable .
Knowledge , Technology and Innovation as a Strategic Asset
Our country can no longer compete in the global economy on the price of labor . The average wage of U . S . auto workers is $ 28 per hour , while in other countries , it is as low as $ 1.00 per hour . For the same reason , we cannot compete on the price of goods that are labor-dependent . But where we can and do compete is with knowledge , technology , and innovation .
NIH , like Silicon Valley , is a great American economic engine . The United States was once the world ’ s leader in research and development and has been richly rewarded for that investment . But today , as a percent of GDP [ gross domestic product ], federal funding for research is declining , hitting a near alltime low in 2021 .
Now policymakers and the public are asking , is it time “ to modernize the agency so it is more transparent , nimble , and forward thinking ?”
The agency has attempted to be effective stewards of each dollar entrusted to it . To that end , has it become too rigidly possessed of the belief that incremental research , that is , research that builds in a step-like manner upon prior research , is less risky and is a better investment of the taxpayers ’ money than bolder , more daring research ?
For example , the federal government funded research based on the erroneous belief that a bodily substance CTLA-4 was an Immune System enhancer . In 2018 , Jim Allison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work that disproved that and recognized the detrimental effect of this molecule on the immune system ’ s ability to combat cancers . As an aside , when he applied to NIH for a grant to carry out his work in 1993 , that application was denied .
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In addition , the evidence is clear that the grantmaking process has failed to sufficiently fund brilliant young scientists , women , and researchers from underrepresented populations . In fact , the average age at which a scientist first receives NIH funding is now 44 , the highest it has ever been .