Bethesda, MD - The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) has released its annual research funding recommendations to Congress, Federal Funding for Biomedical & Related Life Sciences Research FY 2015. "We are at a critical juncture. Congress needs to take strong action to reverse the erosion of our research infrastructure" said FASEB President Margaret K. Offermann, MD, PhD.
Specific recommendations for the five agencies included in the report are:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
As a first step toward a multi-year program of sustainable growth, FASEB recommends a minimum of $32.0 billion for NIH in FY 2015. - National Science Foundation (NSF)
FASEB recommends a minimum of $7.6 billion for the NSF in FY 2015 for its research and education programs covering a wide range of science, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. - Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC)
To promote sustainability of the critical DOE research programs and maintain the unique system of national laboratories, FASEB recommends a minimum of $5.4 billion for the DOE SC in FY 2015. - Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program (VA)
FASEB recommends funding the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2015 to address the unsolved health care problems of the growing veteran population. - United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
FASEB recommends a minimum of $335 million for the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) in FY 2015 as part of a sustained commitment to investment in agricultural research.
Nearly 50 scientists from 21 states and Puerto Rico will hand deliver the FASEB FY 2015 Federal Funding report to more than 80 congressional offices during the Federation's annual Capitol Hill Day on March 5th. They will also discuss the unprecedented research opportunities that could be explored with additional funding for NIH and NSF.