Research!America has been tracking and analyzing the various streams of funding that make up the total U.S. investment in health research for a decade, and trends tell us we are headed in the wrong direction.
In 2008 
, we estimate that $131 billion was spent on research to improve health. For every dollar spent on health overall, 5.5 cents went to research in 2008. In 2008 and for the fourth year in a row, the percentage of each health dollar spent on research stagnated. The U.S. once again invested only 5.5 cents of each health dollar to solve the health challenges our nation faces.
Then the 2008 federal election and the economic downturn brought a recommitment to research. Congress and the Administration passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act early in 2009 prioritizing research and innovation.
Specifically, $10.4 billion was allocated to the National Institutes of Health to be awarded to research institutions across the country by September 2010.
This dramatic infusion of resources has invigorated the scientific community, allowed them to pursue game-changing avenues of research and further revealed extraordinary untapped potential for progress.
To build on this scientific momentum, the annual appropriation for NIH must reach $40 billion as quickly as possible.
Only with robust investment will the U.S. be able to expand the capacity of NIH and other research institutions to improve health and drive economic growth.
2008 Investment in U.S. Health Research-includes trend charts
2007 Investment in U.S. Health Research-includes trend charts
2006 Investment in U.S. Health Research-includes trend charts
2005 Investment in U.S. Health Research
2004 Investment in U.S. Health Research
2002 Investment in U.S. Health Research
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