The Research Advocate February 2012

In This Issue of The Research Advocate

Commerce Department Releases Report on American Competitiveness

As required by the America COMPETES Act, the Department of Commerce has released a report that examined the state of U.S. competitiveness and innovative capacity. The conclusion: Federal investment in three areas-research, education and infrastructure-is critical for America to begin to make up ground lost to emerging economies. Failing to do so, the report says, threatens nothing short of the American way of life.

"Some elements of the U.S. economy are losing their competitive edge," the report states, "which may mean that future generations of Americans will not enjoy a higher standard of living than is enjoyed in the United States today."

Investment in research, and specifically basic research, will help the U.S. regain competitive ground. Federal investment leads to discovery, which then becomes the basis for a private company. The report calls out Madison, WI-based TomoTherapy and Hopkinton, MA-based Xenogen as companies that came about because of discoveries made from National Institutes of Health funding. Together, they employ more than 1,000 people. Other success stories are more recognizable: Genentech, which arose from NIH and National Science Foundation grants, and Google, which got started with NSF funding.

As it pertains to medical research, the report recommends several actions to keep the U.S. competitive: increase government funding for basic research; sustain government funding for research generally; enhance and extend the R&D tax credit; support innovative entrepreneurs; shorten the "valley of death," as it's known, by reducing the amount of time from discovery to application; accelerate biotech, nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing R&D; and develop ways to measure the value and effectiveness of research investment.

America Speaks, Volume 12 Released

America Speaks, Research!America's annual compendium of public opinion polling, has been released. The newest edition, Volume 12, looks back at the national and state polling commissioned by Research!America. The poll data summary was made possible by a grant from United Health Foundation.

Volume 12 includes highlights of polling data as it pertains to research and innovation, federal investment in research, private-sector research, and snapshots of polling data from six states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland and Ohio.

The publication also has quotes from leaders throughout government and media on the topic of research to improve health. Among them are Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke; Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House majority leader; Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA); David Leonhardt, Washington bureau chief of The New York Times; and syndicated columnist George Will.

Download the latest America Speaks at www.researchamerica.org/poll_summary.

Policy Update: Despite Barriers, Research Fares Well

As we approach the next session of Congress, a quick summary and word of thanks is in order. Despite the unprecedented fiscal environment and an extraordinarily polarized Congress, research fared relatively well over the past year. The National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Science Foundation, and the Food and Drug Administration all received budget increases in 2011, while the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was cut slightly. The advocacy community has played a critical role in conveying to the public and policy makers that research should be a higher priority in America. Thank you for all your efforts over the past year. Read our year-end press release with a statement from Research!America's Chair, The Honorable John Porter, here: http://bit.ly/twmoGg.

In 2012, we face the fallout of the supercommittee, which will bring devastating 9% across-the-board cuts beginning in January 2013 unless Congress reverses course. Everything that Congress does in 2012 will be with an eye on the November election.

Appropriations hearings are expected to begin as early as March with committee markups occurring in May and June. The goal will likely be to get the bills to the president by late July, prior to the August recess and end of the fiscal year on September 30. Historically, though, these bills are rarely enacted prior to the end of the fiscal year.

CPH Update

While the CDC's budget was not cut in FY12, The CPH Foundation is laying the groundwork for some advocacy efforts on behalf of the CDC's struggling budget in preparation for hardfought discussions regarding FY13. As you may know from posts on The CPH Foundation's blog at http://cphfoundation.tumblr.com—see "What Trillion Dollars?" from December 23—the agency's budget authority is being repeatedly cut back while overall core programs have been level funded.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a limited amount of lobbying work is permitted, and the Board and staff of the organization will be undertaking targeted efforts in 2012 to ensure Congress (and state policy makers) knows the CDC's budget is in trouble. Letters from senior leaders in the health community, a public health resolution, video-blog postings and a series of briefings are just some of the items all being discussed.

The CPH Foundation is also in early stages of planning what will be our first business leaders' tour of the agency. For this effort, the Foundation is working directly with the chief health officer at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and with other partners in Atlanta. An announcement and invitations will be forthcoming, and anyone interested in learning more should contact Karl Moeller at 202-898-0435.

Rice Study Finds Increasing Age of First-Time NIH Grantees

A publication from four members of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University found that, in 2008, first-time recipients of National Institutes of Health grants averaged 42 years of age-a year older than when the average Nobel laureate conducts his or her award-winning research. The article, produced by former Baker Institute intern Kara Calhoun; institute Chair in Health Economics Vivian Ho, PhD; former intern Nathan Lo; and Science and Technology Policy Fellow Kirstin R. W. Matthews, PhD, first appeared in the journal PLoS ONE.

A lack of funding for young investigators could push them into different fields: "We do believe [a lack of funding] could influence the number of scientists entering and staying in biomedical research positions in academia," the authors write.

The report credits former NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, MD, a Research!America board member, and current Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, with implementing programs targeted toward young investigators.

Second Edition of The Stem Cell Dilemma to be Printed

Authors Leo Furcht, MD, and William Hoffman have announced a second edition to their book, The Stem Cell Dilemma.

The second edition includes updated information on new clinical trials involving stem cells; advances in work with induced pluripotent stem cells; the ongoing court battles over federally funded embryonic stem cell research; and the growing international stem cell enterprise.

Both Furcht and Hoffman work at the University of Minnesota Medical School; Furcht is the former president of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB).

For more information on the book, visit www.stemcelldilemma.com.

HHS Announces First Global Health Strategy

The Department of Health and Human Services recently released its first global health strategy. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius spoke at the briefing that convened leaders in global health to discuss the role of various HHS agencies and their governmental and non-governmental partners in global health.

"Our primary mission at HHS is to keep Americans healthy and safe," Sebelius said. Reminding the audience that global health is America's health, she said, "diseases can spread faster and more unpredictably than ever before. As recently as 1963, just 26,000 passengers came through the Dulles Airport. In 2010, 6.4 million international passengers passed through Dulles. More than a million people drive across our borders, dock in our ports or land in our airports every day and any one of them can bring a new virus or bug. We must take a global approach to improving Americans' health."

Comment Period for NAPA Draft Framework Ends February 8

The Department of Health and Human Services has released its draft framework for implementation of the National Alzheimer's Project Act, which became law in January 2011.

HHS is accepting public comment on the framework, but only until February 8. To comment on the framework, email NAPA@hhs.gov.

To read the framework and learn more about the legislation, visit the initiative's homepage at http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/napa/.

Global Health Research and the Department of Defense

As part of the Global Health R&D Advocacy Initiative's U.S. Government Fact Sheet Series, Research!America's Department of Defense Agency Fact Sheet highlights the significant role DoD plays in global health. This advocacy tool illustrates to policy makers and the public how DoD research and development of medical treatments and preventions play an often vital role in U.S. diplomacy and defense, in addition to protecting the health of our troops and the American public. DoD's global health R&D work is "a cornerstone of military medical diplomacy," stated retired Col. Kent Kester, MD, former commander of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. It has contributed to the development of 25% of the past 40 years' total of U.S.-licensed vaccines. In addition, for each dollar spent on diplomacy and development, five dollars is saved in defense.

The DoD fact sheet can be downloaded at www.researchamerica.org/uploads/DoDFactsheet.pdf.

Advocacy & Action

Ask Our Next President About the Future of Health Research

As the presidential campaigns heat up, it's time to find out where the candidates stand on health research issues. Research!America has launched our award-winning voter education initiative, Your Candidates-Your Health 2012. This initiative, which can be found at www.yourcandidatesyourhealth.org, gets candidates on the record with their views on health research and displays their responses to a questionnaire on our website.

President Obama and Newt Gingrich have already answered, but we want to hear from all the candidates. Research to improve health is a critical issue for our nation, and Americans deserve to know where candidates stand. Together, we can put the spotlight on health research in the 2012 elections.

Member Spotlight: Wayne State University

Founded in 1868, Wayne State University lies in the heart of midtown Detroit, the cultural hub of the city. WSU had $254.4 million in research expenditures in FY10 according to the National Science Foundation. In FY11, WSU's total funding reached more than $187.2 million and research funds topped $159.4 million, the highest level in the university's history. Since 2006, total research funding has increased nearly 30%.

Research at Wayne State covers a broad range of areas, but the school's strengths center around health sciences, technology and physical sciences. Its School of Medicine leads WSU's research efforts and is the largest single-campus medical school in the U.S.

"Much of our research is aimed at solving significant social problems," Hilary Ratner, PhD, vice president for Research, said. "Wayne State is very much connected to our community in Detroit, across the nation and around the world. Our faculty are developing new knowledge and products ... and are offering creative solutions to real-world problems."

In collaboration with WSU's School of Medicine, the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) of NIH's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shares a similar focus on at-risk populations. Located on the medical campus of Wayne State, the PRB's work is centered on reducing the rate of infant mortality, especially in ethnic and racial minority groups.

Translating research is a strength of Wayne State. In 2004, WSU opened TechTown to stimulate the creation of new businesses and jobs.

Research!America's advocacy efforts for health and medical research were key to Wayne State becoming members of the alliance.

"What's important to us ... is that research needs advocates, and research needs a voice at multiple levels," Ratner said. "In order to keep America competitive, we need to have a strong research enterprise, and I see that Research!America can play a role in advocating for research and researchers, at the federal level in particular."

For more information, visit www.research.wayne.edu.

President's Message

Congress is back in session; the State of the Union message has been delivered; the president's budget will soon be delivered to the Congress; but-framing all other actions by elected officials this year-the election season is sucking all the air out of every room. Everyone in office, or seeking to serve, is paying attention to public opinion. It was Abraham Lincoln who pithily commented: "Public sentiment is everything; with public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed." Research!America keeps a finger on the pulse of public sentiment when it comes to research. Our 12th annual Poll Data Summary has just been released, documenting increased concern by the American public that confidence in evidence-driven health care is slipping even as concern is increasing that this nation may be losing its global leadership position when it comes to research and innovation.

It is especially important to earn media attention in a state in the days before its primary or caucus is held. Right now the Republican presidential candidates are not reflecting public opinion but rather seem to be taking U.S. leadership in research for granted and failing to connect the dots between supporting research and driving the economy. Only when candidates hear from many voters will they respond. You and people you know are voters as well as stakeholders in research. We are well-equipped to help you craft an op-ed or letter to the editor, or to assemble talking points with local relevance. This is the year to overcome your resistance to getting involved!

Media Matters

The Honorable John Edward Porter Coverage of America Speaks, Volume 12

Research!America's poll data summary is in the news, including coverage in Business News Daily, Biology News Net, Science Newsline and the whatiseconomics.org blog. In the Business News Daily article, Research!America Chair and former Congressman John Edward Porter said, "Americans think science will save the economy. Scientific research has proven to be an emerging, economic driver in cities that have committed to building their life sciences industry. To secure our position as a leader in science and innovation, we need to elect officials that will support a robust investment in research."

Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley also spoke about the poll results in BIOtechNOW, a website and newsletter produced by the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Woolley said, "So much is at stake right now: our economic future, U.S. jobs and our global leadership. In this election year, we must make advancing health research a priority and part of the national dialogue."

Op-Eds Show Support for Research

An op-ed by former Research!America intern Emily Norton was published in the Concord (NH) Monitor shortly before the New Hampshire primary. In the piece, she shares the story of losing her mother to cancer very suddenly and calls for a stronger investment in research to save more lives. "With a graying population and risk factors for cancer and other chronic illnesses afflicting more Americans," she writes, "this issue should be at the forefront during this presidential primary season."

Kerri Mowen, PhD, an immunologist at The Scripps Research Institute, voiced her concerns about sustaining her research in a front-page article in The San Diego Union-Tribune. "The cutoff point for funding has dropped precipitously-so much so that we are no longer funding about 50% of the grants we would consider 'the best'-those that would have the greatest impact of public health," she told the Union-Tribune. She has started an online petition to generate public support for funding for the National Institutes of Health.

Woolley and Porter quoted in Lab Manager Magazine

Porter and Woolley were quoted in Lab Manager Magazine, as part of their participation in the American Association for the Advancement of Science Leadership Seminar on Science and Technology Policy. They indicated that scientists need to increase their presence and outreach to gain the attention of policy makers, reporters and the public alike.

Moskowitz Letter Appears in The State

Jay Moskowitz, PhD, president and CEO of Health Sciences South Carolina, wrote a letter to the editor in The (Columbia, SC) State in which Moskowitz argued the benefits of research to improve health and wondered why the subject had not been more prominent in the presidential debates. "Do any of them have goals that will help harness in power of research to make us a healthier and more productive nation?" Moskowitz wrote. "Are they committed to maintaining America's global competitiveness?"

Global Health R&D Advocacy

You've likely been following our global health efforts in this column, including the state-based advocacy connecting the dots between research investment and health and economic yield here at home. This month we ask you to share with us what's going on in your state in global health R&D. Did you know that approximately 600 private forprofit companies in California are engaged in global health activities? Or that Maryland's life science sector supported more than 70,000 jobs in 2010? Or that New York universities and pharmaceutical companies are working in public-private partnerships across the state on research and development for HIV, TB and other global health threats? What global health breakthroughs are happening in your own backyard? Let us know at globalhealth@researchamerica.org, and check out our program and tools by visiting www.researchamerica.org/global_health.

Research!America Principal Partners: February 2012

Special Thanks to New and Renewing Research!America Alliance Members

New member
Purdue University

Renewing members
Brigham & Women's Hospital
Caring for Carcinoid Foundation
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Massachusetts General Hospital
Merck & Co.
Mount Sinai Medical Center/School of Medicine
Partners Healthcare System

Not yet a member? Join Research!America today at www.researchamerica.org/become_member.

Download the entire February 2012 Research Advocate as a PDF.

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The Research Advocate February 2012

In This Issue of The Research Advocate

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