NCI and NIH Face Potential Funding Cuts
March 13, 2006
In February, President Bush issued his proposed budget for fiscal year 2007. The $2.77 trillion spending plan included $28.6 billion for the National Institute of Health (NIH), the same as it received the previous year. After adjusting for medical inflation, which is higher than general inflation at 3.5 percent, the NIH will actually receive about one billion dollars less than the prior year. Eighteen of the nineteen institutes under NIH are also slated to have funding cuts with the largest cut to National Cancer Institute (NCI) funds. The proposed budget designates $4.75 billion for NCI which is a $39.7 million decrease from 2006 funding and $71 million less than 2005.
One of the goals of President Bush’s Administration is to eliminate cancer death and suffering by 2015. The NIH had experienced tremendous growth, doubling its budget between 1998 and 2003. Last year NIH received its first budget cut since the 1970’s. With budget reductions, NCI will be forced to make difficult choices in cutting projects and will have to again look for other funding opportunities.
The cuts will lead to inadequate support for many non-biodefense grants, some of which are in the middle of multi-year programs. This includes the largest study of U.S. children, scheduled to begin in January. The study would have followed 100,000 children from the mother’s womb to age 21 to learn how the environment influences a child’s health, an important factor in determining causes of childhood cancer. Scientists have already spent $60 million in tax dollars on the project, which is now set to close down by the end of the year.
The House and Senate will both compile their own budget proposals. Appropriations hearings on the President’s budget are scheduled to begin on March 15 in the Senate and March 16 in the House of Representatives. This an opportunity to write to your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives and urge them to oppose the $40 million in cuts proposed for the National Cancer Institute for fiscal year 2007.
Related websites:
Office of Management and Budget
Related articles:
Labor-Health and Human Services Spending Bill Passes-Cuts for NIH and NCI
<< Back
March 13, 2006
In February, President Bush issued his proposed budget for fiscal year 2007. The $2.77 trillion spending plan included $28.6 billion for the National Institute of Health (NIH), the same as it received the previous year. After adjusting for medical inflation, which is higher than general inflation at 3.5 percent, the NIH will actually receive about one billion dollars less than the prior year. Eighteen of the nineteen institutes under NIH are also slated to have funding cuts with the largest cut to National Cancer Institute (NCI) funds. The proposed budget designates $4.75 billion for NCI which is a $39.7 million decrease from 2006 funding and $71 million less than 2005.One of the goals of President Bush’s Administration is to eliminate cancer death and suffering by 2015. The NIH had experienced tremendous growth, doubling its budget between 1998 and 2003. Last year NIH received its first budget cut since the 1970’s. With budget reductions, NCI will be forced to make difficult choices in cutting projects and will have to again look for other funding opportunities.
The cuts will lead to inadequate support for many non-biodefense grants, some of which are in the middle of multi-year programs. This includes the largest study of U.S. children, scheduled to begin in January. The study would have followed 100,000 children from the mother’s womb to age 21 to learn how the environment influences a child’s health, an important factor in determining causes of childhood cancer. Scientists have already spent $60 million in tax dollars on the project, which is now set to close down by the end of the year.
The House and Senate will both compile their own budget proposals. Appropriations hearings on the President’s budget are scheduled to begin on March 15 in the Senate and March 16 in the House of Representatives. This an opportunity to write to your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives and urge them to oppose the $40 million in cuts proposed for the National Cancer Institute for fiscal year 2007.
Related websites:
Office of Management and Budget
Related articles:
Labor-Health and Human Services Spending Bill Passes-Cuts for NIH and NCI
<< Back
