AHA Advocates for US Government to Fund NIH Adequately in Presidential Advisory

A presidential advisory from the American Heart Association (AHA) published in Circulation addresses the principles of biomedical research and optimization of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The NIH was founded in New York in 1887 with the goal of improving public health and was officially recognized by Congress in 1901 when it funded the Hygienic Laboratory in Washington, DC. Today, the NIH is part of the United States (US) Department of Health and Human Services and comprises 27 Institutes and Centers.

Most of the NIH’s budget (approximately 80%) supports research by approximately 300,000 scientists and research staff at more than 2500 universities, academic health centers, hospitals, and research institutes. Most of the awarded research grants (approximately 60%) are investigator-initiated projects lasting 3 to 5 years.

The US leads the world in research and development (R&D) funding. However, in recent years other countries have surpassed the US in the proportion the country’s gross domestic product they endow in R&D. This investment into R&D has significant economic returns. For example, the almost $38 billion spent in NIH grants in 2023 is estimated to have resulted in $92.89 billion in economic activity.

In addition, the impact of this investment is far reaching from public health to agriculture and the environment. For cardiovascular (CV) health, research funding by the US has led to a 60% decline in CV disease since 1950. However, the prevalence of CV conditions is expected to increase over the next 30 years due to the increasing rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes.

The AHA proposed 5 principles for future biomedical research to optimize the NIH, such that the US maintains its position as the global leader in biomedical research.

The US should continue to prioritize funding high-quality biomedical research. The AHA posits that a coordinated effort to prioritize research objectives and streamline the funding process can optimize productivity and effectiveness.

The NIH should improve the transparency of its peer review process. The AHA recommended that review panels should continue to be multidisciplinary, that funded researchers should subsequently serve on review panels, and to reduce the grant application administrative burden.

The NIH should focus funding on translational and implementation research. Currently, there is a gap in translating evidence from the laboratory into clinical care. This could be accomplished by strengthening the relationship with other federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The NIH should continue to fund scientific training throughout a scientist’s career. The AHA highlighted the problem of many scientists leaving academia in midcareer as well as the midcareer attrition of women.

The NIH should be properly funded. Currently, investment in the NIH does not keep up with the burden of disease in the US.

The presidential advisory concluded, “Our national commitment to biomedical research has been long-standing and bipartisan. Over the past decades, Congress has increased the NIH’s budget, established new agencies, and reauthorized existing institutes. The NIH and other federal agencies play a critical role in funding and implementing biomedical research initiatives that support cardiovascular health and well-being…Looking to the future, a well-resourced NIH will be essential to addressing the health problems of today and tomorrow, and the AHA stands ready to work with others in this regard.”

This article originally appeared on The Cardiology Advisor