Scientists also experience firsthand the effects of policy decisions on research funding, regulations and reporting mechanisms, and appreciate their consequences for scientific progress and the education of the next generation of scientists. For the past six years, scientists representing these societies have met annually to review the programs and policies of the federal agencies that sponsor research in basic biomedical science. Appropriate increases in funding for biomedical research Competitive, merit review of all funding decisions Education of the next generation of scientists Repeal of inappropriate regulations that waste the precious resources of scientists and research institutions. Earmarking and other efforts to bypass merit review in selecting recipients of federal research grants is wasteful of scarce resources and unlikely to yield the best science. Our nation's first priority should be investigator-initiated research, the essential mechanism for innovative breakthroughs in the biomedical sciences.
Unnecessary regulations are costly.
They waste limited resources and divert the energies of scientists from pursuit of their research. Allocation of Resources for Future Growth Much of the continued success of biomedical science in the United States is due to the link between research and training of students. These programs provide a broad, interdisciplinary education that prepares young scientists to meet the challenges of the future and enables institutions to maintain the programmatic diversity needed for research progress during the next millennium. This nation's investment in NIH-sponsored biomedical research has paid spectacular dividends, and has made the United States the world's leader in medicine, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and instruments for life sciences research. NIH-sponsored biomedical research generates substantial benefits for our health, economy, and quality of life, and justifies continued public support even in periods of fiscal restraint.