September 17, 2012
BUDGET SEQUESTRATION WILL THREATEN NIH MEDICAL INNOVATION
September 14, 2012 – “A cut of 8.2 percent to the NIH budget, as presented in today’s OMB sequestration report, would jeopardize the entire medical research ecosystem, from research labs to private industry jobs to patients’ health.
“A recent UMR report calculated the impact of a 7.8 percent across-the-board cut in NIH research funding, which would result in the loss of 33,000 related jobs across the U.S. and a $4.5 billion decrease in economic activity. OMB’s report illustrates an even bleaker picture and one our nation’s health and economic wellbeing can’t afford to see take effect. Next week, our united community will continue to sound the alarm on the harmful effect of the sequester with a new report by the Information The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, taking a more in depth look at the impact of these cuts to the NIH community and new polling results from UMR and Research!America on medical research and sequestration.
“Adequate annual funding is critical to ensuring the next generation of biomedical research advancements and a cut of this magnitude, following a decade of flat funding for NIH, will devastate the biomedical research enterprise. We urge Congress to do what is best for our nation’s economy and the health of its citizens and defend the NIH from sequestration.”