As federal budget stalemate continues, funding for local research is in limbo | Opinion

Federal funding of the National Institutes of Health saves lives, and funding of the National Science Foundation spurs innovation, keeping our country at the leading edge of discovery.

What is underappreciated is that funding from both of those national agencies supports local scientists, local laboratories, and local trainees; this funding also has a positive economic impact on local economies. Congress recommended a $3.5 billion increase for the NIH and a $1.1 billion increase for the NSF this past summer. These increases are in jeopardy if Congress continues to delay and fails to finalize the 2022 budget.

Right now all federal agencies are operating under a “continuing resolution” until Feb. 18, 2022. The continuing resolution prevents the NIH, the NSF, and other agencies from funding new grants and expanding training programs for early career scientists. That is, science suffers when Congress dillydallies. We need Congress to reach an agreement and finalize the 2022 budget sooner rather than later.

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Federal funding supports science and innovation in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and every other state. These funds provide support to multiple institutions to conduct cutting-edge research. In 2020, the NIH provided $2 billion to Pennsylvania, $352 million to New Jersey, and $55 million to Delaware to advance scientific knowledge. Funding from the NIH has enhanced the treatment and prevention of many life-threatening diseases — dramatic increases in life expectancy and declines in infant mortality have been realized over many decades.

Indeed, federal funds have supported vaccine development, which have saved countless lives in the past year. Beyond the current pandemic, vaccines have made the world a better place — think of the near-eradication of measles and polio.

Funding of the NSF facilitates innovation, enabling groundbreaking new discoveries. In 2020, the NSF provided $309 million in funding to Pennsylvania, $184 million to New Jersey, and $51 million to Delaware to support research and training. These funds are provided to many research and educational institutions. Funding from the NSF has led to a wide range of discoveries, from the technology of cell phones to the lasers used in LASIK eye surgery.

In short, federal funding of biomedical research through the NIH and the NSF has supported an incredible array of improvements in the health and well being of American citizens, and has allowed the nation to remain a global leader in science and technology. Investments in science and innovation also stimulate local economies by supporting jobs, businesses, and tech transfer.

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For this to continue, the biomedical research community needs sustained and predictable funding each and every year. The unfortunate tradition of continuing resolutions to keep the government afloat creates inefficiencies that stymie scientific progress.

Consistent with the endorsement of multiple science-based organizations, as well as the recommendations of the congressional appropriations committee, the NIH should be funded with $46.4 billion, and the NSF with $9.63 billion in fiscal year 2022 (which began on Oct. 1, 2021). These dollar amounts seem very large, but only represent a tiny sliver of the federal budget.

All states benefit from this funding, and this support will allow the nation to remain globally competitive in a rapidly changing world.

William B. Farquhar, Ph.D., is the associate dean of research in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware and a former board member of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.