(fy) 2017 funding recommendations

www.faseb.org

for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research

FY 2017

Federal Funding

FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETIES FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY

2017-03449-FASEB-Fed-Funding-text-10.indd 1 2/24/16 10:54 AM


Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2017

Executive Summary

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is composed of 30 societies with more than 125,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States (U.S.). FASEB enhances the ability

of scientists and engineers to improve health, well-being, and productivity through research and is recognized as the policy voice of biological and biomedical researchers.

Stable and predictable increases in funding for research are vital to maintaining the U.S. historic global leadership in science and technology and to developing new treatments for the diseases and disorders affecting our families and communities. This report presents FASEB’s fiscal year (FY) 2017 funding recommendations as the beginning of a longer-term commitment to sustained growth for the following five federal research agencies:

▪▪ National Institutes of Health (NIH)FASEB recommends a minimum of $35.0 billion for the NIH in FY 2017

▪▪ National Science Foundation (NSF)FASEB recommends a minimum of $7.96 billion for the NSF in FY 2017

▪▪ Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program (VA) FASEB recommends a minimum of $664.7 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program in FY 2017

▪▪ United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) FASEB recommends a minimum of $700 million for the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and $1.2 billion for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in FY 2017

▪▪ Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC) FASEB recommends a minimum of $5.67 billion for the DOE SC in FY 2017


Introduction

Our national investment in biological and medical research has paid enormous dividends, producing discoveries that have lowered death and disability rates from heart disease,

cancer, HIV, and other diseases. Basic research funded by federal agencies including NIH, NSF, DOE SC and USDA contributed to the development of new therapeutics that have improved health and saved lives, cultivated a robust pharmaceutical industry, launched the multi-billion dollar biotechnology industry, and led to unprecedented improvements in the world’s food supply. Federally supported research programs across the biosciences play a critical role in training the next generation of scientists. Today, students, scientists, patients, and entrepreneurs are attracted to the U.S. from across the globe by the promise of our outstanding scientists and engineers in our research institutions.

We live in a time of unprecedented scientific opportunity. Recent discoveries have given scientists and engineers groundbreaking insights and the development of novel tech-niques enables them to extend the frontiers of knowledge in exciting new directions. The scientific workforce has grown and is now well-poised to make tremendous strides with vast benefits for humanity. Fields such as medical genomics, biomedical engineering, and bioinformatics have expanded, which has facilitated significant advance-ments that address the most pressing problems related to the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment.

Increased funding for the nation’s research agencies is needed to restore grants for investigator-initiated research that have declined in recent years due to spending cuts and inflationary losses. A long-term strategy of sustained federal investment in biological and biomedical research will ensure the most efficient use of funding and optimize the allocation of resources. To facilitate long-term planning, support the next generation of researchers, and maximize scientific progress, funding agencies, institutions, and investigators need stable, predictable research budgets.

The U.S. needs a dynamic and thriving scientific enterprise in order to tackle some of the most vexing chal-lenges and ensure prosperity in the global economy. As the American Academy of Arts and Sciences stated in its 2014 Report Restoring the Foundation: The Vital Role of Research in Preserving the American Dream, “There is a deficit between what America is investing and what it should be investing to remain competitive, not only in research but in innovation and job creation.”1

As Congress makes difficult decisions with respect to the budget, scientific research should be considered one of the highest priorities. In FY 2017, we must build upon the momentum created by policymakers’ renewed support for the nation’s science agencies in the 2016 omnibus appro-priations bill.

1 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Restoring the Foundation: The Vital Role of Research in Preserving the American Dream, Cambridge, Mass, 2014.


Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2017 1


National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest source of funding for biomedical research in the world. Approximately 84 percent of NIH funds are distributed through more than 60,000 research

and training grants to over 300,000 scientists employed at universities, medical schools, and other research institu-tions in all 50 states and nearly every congressional district. To date, 148 Nobel Laureates were funded by NIH over the course of their careers, including the 2015 winners of the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and Economics.

NIH has produced an outstanding legacy of discov-eries that have improved health, saved lives, generated new knowledge and trained generations of scientists. Investment in biomedical research funded by NIH has supported discoveries that reduced deaths from cancer and rates of disability due to stroke, heart disease, hepa-titis B, and osteoporotic fractures, prolonging life and reducing suffering. Many of these advances arose from scientists investigating questions designed to explain fundamental molecular, cellular, and biological mechanisms in non-human and even non-mammalian study systems. Research supported by NIH has expanded our under-standing of the molecular roots of various cancers and led to important insights into how microbial communities affect a range of chronic diseases including diabetes. Investi-gators funded by NIH have also made critical advances in genomics and proteomics, leading to the discovery of more than a thousand risk factors for various diseases. In addition, entirely new global industries and innovative technologies have been created, stimulating our nation’s economic growth.

New scientific breakthroughs such as advanced cellular imaging are being used to view the inner workings of living tissues in greater detail and with more accuracy. Basic research supported by NIH also fuels advances in our understanding of infectious diseases, improving the lives of millions of people worldwide.

NIH-funded research is continuing to produce the insights that are needed for tomorrow’s improvements in health and clinical care. Recent discoveries include:

▪▪ Vaccines: Weapons in the Fight Against Disease: Vaccines are powerful weapons in the fight against disease. They have averted more than 100 million cases of disease in the United States and continue to prevent

2.5 million deaths globally every year. Using advances in immunology and molecular genetics, scientists continue to develop new kinds of vaccines that hold promise for better efficacy by eliciting immune responses similar to those that occur naturally upon entry of an intruding microbe. For example, researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have co-developed a vaccine aimed at preventing the devastating disease, Ebola. This vaccine was shown to be safe and induced an immune response in human trials, and has moved on for further testing in West African populations affected by this disease.2

▪▪ The Microbiome: Our Personal Ecosystem: For more than three hundred years, scientists have observed, identified, and implicated individual microorganisms in specific diseases. More recently, with a convergence of scientific disciplines, an explosion in technical capabilities, and revolutionary new ways of thinking, scientists are exploring the organisms with which we share our bodies. Understanding of the microorganisms that live in and on us—our microbiome—will provide insights into how they can influence human health and disease. NIH-funded researchers at Washington University in St. Louis recently discovered that babies can be populated with their mother’s microbes in utero in contrast to the commonly held belief that the newborns’ microbiomes were not established until after birth. This finding can help scientists further understand how a mother’s microbial status can impact the long-term health of the child.3

▪▪ Organs-on-a-Chip: Tools for Drug Discovery and Study of Disease: This emerging technology of organs-on-a-chip allows scientists to watch the cascade of events that takes place in organs in response to drugs or during disease. These 3-D biochips contain living human cells from an organ or tissue that can mimic the mechanical motion of internal organs and structures. The artery-on-a-chip developed by NIH-funded researchers at the University of California, Davis provides an unprecedented view of how atherosclerosis

2 http://www.faseb.org/Portals/2/PDFs/opa/2015/10.23.15%20FASEB-BreakthroughsInBioscience-Vaccines%20-WEB.pdf

3 http://www.faseb.org/Portals/2/PDFs/opa/2015/Breakthroughs%20In%20Bioscience%20Human%20Microbiome.pdf

2 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2017


develops in coronary arteries and how activation of white blood cells related to inflammation influences the risk of heart problems. This improved understanding could lead to novel anti-inflammation therapies and, eventually, to new tools to predict, monitor, and treat atherosclerosis.4

▪▪ Nanoparticles: A Targeted Approach to Medicine: Nanomedicine is beginning to change the way scientists and physicians diagnose and treat disease. Unlike conventional therapies, these tiny particles – 1,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair – can seek out diseased tissue and access hard to reach places in the body. NIH-funded researchers at Clemson University designed nanoparticles that can identify sites of vascular injury in an animal model of cardiovascular disease. Specialized imaging showed that the nanoparticles only adhere to damaged blood vessels, while avoiding healthy tissue. In the future, researchers hope to modify these nanoparticles to deliver drugs to the sites of vascular injury and repair the damaged tissue.5

▪▪ Precision Medicine: Fine-Tuning Disease Diagnosis and Treatment: Precision medicine is a medical paradigm offering customizable medicine based on one’s genes that can be used to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Innovations in precision medicine come

4 http://www.faseb.org/Portals/2/PDFs/opa/2015/FASEB-HorizonsInBioscience-OrgansOnAChip-Web.pdf

5 http://www.faseb.org/Portals/2/PDFs/opa/2015/nanoparticles%20horizons%20article.pdf

from technological advances that make it both feasible and affordable to decipher a person’s complete genetic make-up. This new genetic landscape is already causing a paradigm shift in how cancer is diagnosed and treated, with molecular diagnosis adding to or replacing traditional pathological diagnosis based on microscopic features of tumors. For example, a group of scientists working with NIH’s Cancer Genome Atlas analyzed the DNA profiles of over 300 malignant melanoma cancer tissues, the results of which unveiled a set of 13 genetic mutations that can drive the cancer’s growth and will enable physicians to treat each patient with drugs targeted to the specific mutation.6

Sustained Funding Is Critical to Continue Progress and Take Advantage of New Scientific Opportunities

NIH needs sustained increases in funding to continue the research that paves the way to new therapies and to respond to urgent public health needs as they arise. We can now address new questions about biology and behavior that were previously thought to be unanswerable. New scientific breakthroughs such as advanced cellular imaging to view the inner workings of living tissues in greater detail and with more accuracy will be possible. Increasing collaborations between researchers from different fields of science are facilitating ideas for better strategies to

6 http://www.faseb.org/Portals/2/PDFs/opa/2014/Individualized%20Medicine%20Breakthroughs.pdf


NIHNATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

“CONFETTI” CELL LABELING TECHNIQUE USED FOR TRACKING GENETIC CHANGES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CANCER BY HEINZ

BAUMANN ET AL: A FASEB BIOART 2015 WINNING IMAGE


prevent, diagnose, and treat a variety of diseases. As the FY 2016-2020 NIH-wide strategic plan notes, “a strengthened and sustained commitment to NIH-supported research is critical because delays in scientific progress can have a dire impact on the health of individuals and the communities in which they live, as well as our nation’s overall public health and wellbeing.”7.

The FY 2017 appropriation for NIH must build on and expand the agency’s capacity to fund research in order to improve quality of life, address the rising costs of caring for our aging population, and reduce illness and disability. In July 2015, the House of Representatives recognized the challenges facing the biomedical research enterprise and passed the 21st Century Cures Act (HR 6). The bipartisan bill, which was supported by more than 300 members of Congress, recommended that NIH receive an additional $3.0 billion per year in discretionary and mandatory funding in FY 2016-2018. Related legislation is currently being developed in the U.S. Senate.

Congress took a much-needed first step towards fulfilling the goals of the 21st Century Cures Act by providing a two billion dollar increase for NIH in FY 2016. We encourage Congress to continue the funding trajectory envisioned in this legislation as there are excellent proposals for outstanding research that are unable to be funded with

7 NIH-Wide Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2016–2020: Turning Discovery Into Health. http://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/about-nih/strategic-plan-fy2016-2020-508.pdf

current budget levels. When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enabled NIH institutes to support additional R01 grants, analyses demonstrated that these added grants were as productive on a per-dollar basis as those that were funded with the regular appropriation.8 An increase of $3.0 billion for FY 2017 would enable NIH to fund more R01 grants while still providing much needed increases to other parts of the portfolio. If the percentage of the new funding used for R01 grants is the same as in prior years, NIH could fund more than 2,200 additional R01 grants. This would bring the total number of R01 grants back to the level supported in FY 2003 (7,400), the highest in the agency’s recent history.

Sustained increases in funding are necessary for the NIH to continue to train and support the next generation of researchers. For example, increased funding can also be used to raise the stipends for postdocs and other trainees as recommended by FASEB.9 Additional funding can be used to supplement research and training grants by five percent as a first step toward a multi-year commitment to reaching the target salary recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences10, the National Postdoctoral Association11, and FASEB.12

To continue to grow the nation’s capacity for biomedical research, and as a first installment of a multi-year program of sustainable increases, FASEB recommends at least $35.0 billion for NIH in FY 2017.

8 Narasimhan S. Danthi, Colin O. Wu, Donna M. DiMichele, W. Keith Hoots, and Michael S. Lauer, “Citation Impact of NHLBI R01 Grants Funded Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as Compared to R01 Grants Funded Through the Standard Payline,” Circulation Research, 2015; 116:784-788

9 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Sustaining Discovery, Bethesda, MD: FASEB.

10 National Academies of Science. (2014). The Postdoctoral Experience Revisited. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

11 National Postdoctoral Association website https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/npamembers.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/Docs/NPA_Overtime_Response_-_08.2.pdf

12 In 2011, FASEB recommended a stipend level of $45,000 with subsequent cost of living increases.


NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

NANOPARTICLES AND BREAST CANCER CELLSCAPTION TEXT: BREAST CANCER CELLS INTERNALIZING

NANOPARTICLES BY JENOLYN F. ALEXANDER ET AL: A FASEB BIOART 2015 WINNING IMAGE

STRUCTURAL ILLUSTRATION OF THE EBOLA VIRUS BY DAVID S. GOODSELL: A FASEB BIOART 2015 WINNING IMAGE


National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the only federal agency supporting discovery-oriented research in all fields of science and engineering and is the major source of funding for mathematics,

computer science, and social sciences research. NSF’s mission is “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…” More than 200 Nobel Laureates have received NSF support throughout their careers. The agency’s fellowship programs educate and train thou-sands of graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, ensuring a robust and competitive workforce. Funding is distributed annually through merit-based reviews, to 200,000 scientists, engineers, educators, and pre- and post-doctoral students across all 50 states. NSF supports approximately 24 percent of all federally-supported basic research and awards an average of 11,500 new competitive awards per year.

To sustain the nation’s leadership in science, the research community relies on NSF to provide access to major research facilities, mid-scale instrumentation, advanced computational and data resources, and cyber-infrastructure. Large-scale NSF facilities fund equipment that can propel entire fields of research forward, maximizing the costs of investment and promoting the use of shared resources. NSF is also responsible for helping to address a new set of challenges in managing, storing, and providing access to the explosion of data currently being produced by researchers.

Research supported by NSF has led to significant advances in nanotechnology, leading to the creation of new devices and materials with remarkably useful and versatile properties. Today, many private sector companies are pursing the development of nanoscale products for commercial uses. NSF has also funded research that has created products used in everyday life such as bar codes and computer-aided design (CAD) software. In addition, research funded by NSF helped develop Doppler radar enabling meteorologists to forecast the location and severity of storms with greater accuracy.

Recent highlights from NSF-funded research that address important problems related to the conditions of humans, animals, and the environment include:

▪▪ CRISPR-Cas9 and Gene Editing: Basic research into the mechanisms of bacterial immunity has opened a new frontier in biotechnology. The CRISPR-Cas9 system, pioneered by researchers at institutions including the University of California, Berkeley, allows biologists to make precise, targeted changes to individual genes in the genomes of a myriad of organisms and cell-types. This not only gives researchers an unprecedented ability to study biological processes at the molecular level, but opens up a new universe of potential therapeutics and biotechnological applications.13

▪▪ Studying Amphibians to Understand the Microbiome and Disease: Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have demonstrated that a fungal pathogen responsible for massive declines in amphibian species changes the microbiome that normally resides on the animals’ skin. Using next-generation DNA sequencing to document shifts in skin bacteria of frog communities during pathogen outbreaks, the researchers discovered varying patterns of disease dynamics that may be related to tolerance or vulnerability to the pathogen. The results are important for developing responses to counter the mass extinction of amphibians worldwide, and may also have implications for studies of human health.14

▪▪ Using Genetics to Address Colony Collapse Disorder: Important commercial crops in the U.S. and throughout the world are pollinated by honey bees.

13 http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=134286&org=BIO

14 http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=133263&org=NSF


NSF


However, over the last decade, there has been a drastic decline in bee populations, threatening food security and billions of dollars of agricultural production. By studying the African relatives of domestically raised bees, researchers at Pennsylvania State University are beginning to understand genetic and environmental factors that might allow bees to resist the agents that threaten them. This work may lead to new management and breeding strategies that will save this crucial pollinator.15

▪▪ Understanding Variation in Tolerance to Oxygen Deprivation: Oxygen deprivation is an important cause of disease and injury in humans, animals, and aquatic ecosystems. Some animals, such as painted turtles, are ideal models for understanding the limits of oxygen deprivation because they can naturally tolerate the condition. Comparative physiologists at Saint Louis University are using next-generation transcriptomic approaches to identify the genes underlying the turtle’s ability to survive without oxygen. Their aim is to uncover new targets for interventions that could reduce or eliminate tissue injury in more vulnerable species.16

▪▪ Mathematical Modeling of Blood Flow to Understand Glaucoma: Researchers at Indiana University are developing a mathematical model of ocular blood flow in order to study glaucoma, a disease of the optic nerve and a leading cause of blindness. By using new, quantitative approaches, this work has the potential to improve the interpretation of clinical eye measurements, not only for the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, but also for other vascular diseases that present systems in the eye such as diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.17

▪▪ Blocking the Transmission of Malaria: Malaria, a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes, is a scourge that affects millions of people globally each year. Biochemists at the University of Oklahoma have identified a protein in the mosquito digestive system that is critical for the transmission of the malarial parasite. With this insight, researchers hope to harness the activity of this protein in order to develop compounds that might block parasite uptake by mosquitoes and prevent further spread of the disease.18

▪▪ Real-Time Imaging of Organs and Tissues: Biomedical engineers at Washington University in St.


16 https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1253939&HistoricalAwards=false

17 http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1224195&HistoricalAwards=false


Louis have developed a novel approach to biomedical imaging. This technique, which uses lasers to create miniscule changes in temperature in the object to be imaged, does not require the use of chemical agents, and thus can be used to visualize living material in its natural environment. Such new bioimaging technology will give researchers an unprecedented ability to visualize and understand myriad biological processes, and ultimately may give clinicians a powerful new diagnostic tool.19

Facilitating New Discoveries

New research will be required to solve vexing problems facing the United States and the world. The breadth and diversity of NSF’s mission makes the Foundation uniquely suited to pioneer bold, new scientific directions. Indeed, many of the most innovative ideas and interesting frontiers are interdisciplinary in nature, drawing upon concepts and expertise from several different scientific traditions. In this spirit, the NSF has become adept at leveraging its expertise both within and across units at the agency, and will continue to pursue new multi-directorate initiatives, such as the Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Water, and Energy investment.20

Despite this unprecedented level of scientific opportunity, the budget of NSF has increased only marginally over the last several years. This, coupled with the rising cost of research, has eroded the ability of the NSF to be a corner-stone of the America’s scientific enterprise and restricted the Foundation’s ability to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. What is required is a renewed commitment to NSF that puts the agency on a path of sustained, steady budget increases such that science may flourish and the nation may continue to benefit from the landmark discov-eries and innovations enabled by NSF funding.

Providing NSF with a budget of $7.96 billion ($500 million above FY 2016 levels) would allow the agency to fund approximately 500 additional research grants at colleges, universities, and other research centers across the nation. Funding at this level is also consistent with a vision of predictable, sustained growth for NSF that has been proposed in past reauthorizations, such as the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act of 2010.

FASEB recommends a minimum of $7.96 billion for NSF in FY 2017, as an important first step in ensuring a sustainable, competitive basic research enterprise.


20 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2016/nsf16524/nsf16524.htm?org=NSF


NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program provides leadership in creating discoveries and developing innova-tions that advance health care for our veterans.

Outcomes from this research, however, provide benefits to the entire nation. Research supported by the VA serves as a model for how scientific inquiry and innovative thought can transform medicine.

It is an obligation to provide the highest quality care to those who have made great sacrifices in service to this country. More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care, allowing the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements. VA-clinician investigators identify new research questions at the patient’s bedside and also undertake a wide array of research to improve the lives of veterans.

VA-funded research has produced significant returns, from advancing basic knowledge about disease mecha-nisms to the development of new treatments and therapies. Partnerships between VA and biotechnology companies have led to the creation of state-of-the-art prosthetics, including a bionic ankle-foot that is now in clinical use and systems that activate residual or paralyzed nerves, muscles, and limbs. In addition, a unique collaboration between VA researchers and private pharmaceutical companies

supported a successful clinical trial that led to the devel-opment of a vaccine for the shingles virus. Previous VA clinical trials and studies found that vitamin E can signifi-cantly delay functional decline among those with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and helped shape national guidelines on the use of statin drugs for patients with high cholesterol.

Additional examples of VA-supported research include:

▪▪ Nano-Scale Bone Regeneration Technology: Researchers from the Atlanta VA medical center have developed a new method for regenerating bone that could lead the way into a new realm of osteoporosis therapies. The researchers were able to promote regeneration of bone in laboratory mice by injecting tiny, ball-shaped particles covered in silica. These studies of silica nanoparticle therapies will shed light on the precise mechanisms of bone formation and repair, and may one day lead to the development of reliable treatments for bone degeneration.21

▪▪ microRNA Cancer Therapy: Small RNA molecules called microRNAs are crucial regulators of genes throughout the genome. Scientists at the VA Northern California Health System have discovered a particular microRNA that seems to be deficient in bladder tumors.

21 http://www.research.va.gov/currents/0815-6.cfm


VA

BLOOD VESSEL IN A DEVELOPING BONE BY PAUL R. ODGREN: A FASEB BIOART 2014 WINNING IMAGE


The team subsequently was able to demonstrate that reintroduction of this microRNA molecule reduces tumor cell viability and is now exploring ways in which such molecules might be translated into effective therapies.22

▪▪ Genomic Medicine at the VA: As part of the president’s Precision Medicine Initiative, the VA is undertaking the Million Veterans Program (MVP). The program is collecting genomic and other health data from a million veterans in the hopes of finding medical solutions for the ailments afflicting our nation’s veterans and the broader American public. For example, in a pilot study using MVP data, VA researchers are looking at how genetics might predict patients’ response to antidepressants, thus informing how best to treat depression.23

▪▪ Heart Attack Detection Technology: In the event of a heart attack, rapid access to care is critical in order to prevent damage to the heart muscle and to save the patient’s life. Researchers at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine have begun to develop a technology that can use a person’s saliva to rapidly diagnose heart attacks when chest-pain or other symptoms are first reported. This new technology has the potential to increase both the speed and accuracy of heart attack diagnosis, thus greatly improving outcomes for heart disease sufferers.24

▪▪ Personalized Medicine for Pain Management: Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain. By investigating the genetic underpinnings of a specific type of agonizing chronic pain called “Man on Fire Syndrome,” researchers at the West Haven VA and the Yale School of Medicine were able to discover an association between a particular protein variant and a positive response to a pain-killing drug. This finding opens up the possibility for pain treatments tailored to specific patients based on their individual genotypes.25

22 http://www.research.va.gov/currents/june15/0615-6.cfm23 http://www.research.va.gov/currents/1015-2.cfm24 http://news.rice.edu/2010/05/06/diagnosing-heart-attacks-may-be-a-lick-

and-a-click-away/25 http://medicine.yale.edu/cnrr/news/article.aspx?id=4412

Sustained Research Efforts Are Critical to Meeting Increased Demand for Health Care Services

VA research efforts support innovations in care for the growing population of veterans and non-veterans with chronic illnesses. Hearing loss is the most common service-connected disability in the VA health care system and affects nearly 30 million Americans. Research funded by the VA is examining new methods of harnessing technology to diagnose and treat individuals with hearing disorders. In addition, the VA is at the forefront of developing treatments to restore vision and design new assistive devices for the nearly one million Veterans who are estimated to be coping with severe visual impairments.

The demand for mental health services is especially acute. Approximately one in five Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan currently have Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and 300,000 VA patients seek treatment for major depressive disorder annually. From FY 2013-FY 2014, the total number of all veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities increased by ten percent even though VA’s research budget grew by only 0.6 percent in the same time period.26

To address the full spectrum of Veterans’ health care needs and meet the increasing requests for services, the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program must be provided with additional resources. The Medical and Prosthetic Research Program will need a budget of $664.7 million (an increase of $34 million over FY 2016) in FY 2017 in order to keep pace with inflation and sustain support for research on conditions common among service members returning from conflicts overseas, as well as the aging veteran population from previous eras. Funds are also required to continue to enhance and further develop the MVP.

FASEB recommends a minimum of $664.7 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program in FY 2017 to address the health care problems of the veteran population and ensure they receive the high quality care they have earned.

26 http://www.benefits.va.gov/REPORTS/abr/ABR-Compensation-FY14-10202015.pdf


VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH PROGRAM


United States Department of Agriculture Research Programs

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds research through a competitive grants system, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), and an “in-house” effort admin-

istered by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). These programs support research that addresses some of the grand challenges of our time: food production, global food security, human nutrition, agriculture economics, and sustainable bioenergy. Grants are awarded to state agri-cultural experiment stations, colleges, university research foundations, and other research institutions, as well as private organizations. AFRI funded over 1,200 research projects in all 50 states between 2009 and 2011. ARS currently supports more than 2,000 scientists at 90 labora-tories throughout the country.27

Since AFRI was established in 2008, the program has supported research to develop new varieties of wheat and barley that will better tolerate changes in climate and lettuce that requires less water, which will allow farmers to conserve resources and save money. Other projects established methods to improve communication, analysis, and data sharing about corn farming practices in order to

27 http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/ARSImpacts/ARSImpacts.pdf

ensure production can be sustained despite the threat of extreme weather events. In addition, a USDA-funded team of engineers and scientists created a mobile application to help farmers comply with Environmental Protection Agency regulations that mandate the collection and submission of data on soil, crops, and nutrient management plans. ARS scientists have discovered genes and molecular markers in honey bees that have led to the breeding of new bees that are resistant to the adverse effects of mites and chalkbrood disease, as well as the application of technologies to help reduce exposure of the bees to pesticides.

Examples of promising USDA-funded research include:

▪▪ Laser Tool Detection of Salmonella: Scientists funded by USDA at Purdue University have developed a new method for the detection of Salmonella bacterial contamination in food. By using a laser to scan bacteria isolated from food samples, the new technology can identify potential contamination about three times faster than traditional methods. This rapid screening could ultimately lead to more thorough and rapid food inspections, thus reducing morbidity from Salmonella food poisoning.28

28 http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2014/Q1/laser-tool-speeds-up-detection-of-salmonella-in-food-products.html


USDA

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ESSENTIAL MICRONUTRIENT ZINC IN A PLANT LEAF BY SUZANA CAR ET AL. A FASEB BIOART 2015 WINNING IMAGE


▪▪ Molecular Mechanisms of Herbicide Resistance: Compounds called safeners are routinely applied to cereal crops to protect them from weed-killing herbicides. However, the precise mechanism by which these safeners work remained largely unknown. Recently, USDA-supported researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered that specific molecules for detoxifying herbicides in cereal plants are upregulated when safeners are applied. This insight will aid in the management of herbicide use, and similar detoxification processes in plants may prove to be useful traits for resistance to other stressors, including drought, pests, or disease.29

▪▪ Computer Modeling of Food-Borne Pathogen Growth: One of the greatest challenges in food safety is to ensure that different foods are handled properly to prevent the growth of harmful, contaminating microbes. In order to enhance the ability of food companies to ensure the safety of their products, ARS scientists at the USDA Eastern Regional Research Center have developed a software package that models the growth and proliferation bacteria in different environments. These models can then be used to develop effective management practices that reduce the instance of foodborne illness.30

29 http://www.grainnet.com/articles/University_of_Illinois_Researchers_Learn_More_About_Herbicide_Defense_Switch_in_Cereal_Crops-146822.html

30 http://portal.errc.ars.usda.gov/PMP.aspx

▪▪ Uncovering the Links between Maternal Traits and Fetal Development: An important area of ongoing research seeks to understand how mothers’ health during pregnancy might affect children’s growth and development. Using advanced imaging techniques, USDA ARS-funded researchers at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center have discovered a relationship between maternal obesity during pregnancy and brain structure in newborns. This study is part of a growing literature suggesting previously unknown ways in which maternal health has profound neurological effects on fetal development. Such studies therefore not only shed light on fundamental mechanisms of human brain development, but also could help with design of dietary and exercise interventions for expecting mothers that improves infant health.31

▪▪ Development of Drought- and Disease-Resistant Corn: Drought represents a major threat to crop production. To begin to address this problem, USDA-funded researchers at Texas A&M University have been exploring the genetics of corn varieties grown in different regions of the United States. Through this work, the team has begun to breed more productive varieties of corn that show greater resistance to drought and opportunistic infections. These efforts will be especially important for growers in the most drought prone regions.32

31 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2591992432 http://nifa.usda.gov/blog/breeding-program-brings-better-safer-corn-

south


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

BRAIN FIBER IMAGING USED TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF INFANT DIET ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT BY

XIAWEI OU: A FASEB BIOART 2015 WINNING IMAGE.


▪▪ Improving the Safety of Leafy Green Vegetables: Bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or other toxic chemicals are often used to remove bacteria from leafy vegetables. Researchers at the University of Arizona supported by the USDA have discovered that non-toxic plant antimicrobial and other organic compounds can be just as effective in cleaning produce. Pursuing these alternative strategies has the potential to both increase food safety and reduce the adverse health and environmental impacts of using harsh cleaning agents on food plants.33

▪▪ Combating the Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance: The proliferation of antibiotic-resistant microbes poses a significant threat to both human and animal health. However, scientists are only beginning to understand the details of how antibiotic resistance emerges and spreads, both within agricultural and non-agricultural settings. To address this, AFRI-funded scientists are playing an integral role as part of broader national efforts to deal with this critical challenge. For example, researchers at the University of Minnesota have begun to study the evolution of antibiotic resistant E. coli and Salmonella on poultry farms in the hopes of developing better management strategies that will improve both food safety and public health. 34

New Investments Will Accelerate the Pace of Agricultural Research

New technologies and improved techniques are needed to address serious agricultural-related crises facing our country including the ongoing drought in California, childhood obesity, pollinator collapse, and citrus greening. Other challenges include changing weather patterns that shift growing seasons and threats posed by increasing vari-eties of invasive weeds, pests, and pathogens. Investment in USDA will help us to better understand the relationship between food consumption and behaviors, dietary patterns, and various health outcomes, including those related to obesity and the development of chronic diseases. USDA-funded research leads to nutrition education and obesity prevention strategies and interventions that advance public health.

Federal funding for competitive agricultural research can provide the answers that will build the foundation of knowledge to help solve current and future societal problems. Harnessing this potential would generate new knowledge in the food, nutrition, and agricultural sciences,

33 http://nifa.usda.gov/blog/improving-safety-leafy-greens34 http://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/1005062-systems-

approach-to-identifying-targeted-interventions-for-minimizing-antibiotic-resistance-in-the-poultry-production-system.html

and translate those fundamental discoveries into prac-tical solutions that benefit all sectors of society and every geographic region in the country. Sustaining a competitive agriculture economy is also critical in order to respond to new and emerging problems, such as identifying ways to better manage the avian flu epidemic.

Accelerating the pace and productivity of agricultural research will require sustained increases for AFRI and ARS. A National Research Council (NRC) review of the AFRI program concluded that, “ARFI plays a critical and unique role in the nation’s overall research and development (R&D) portfolio because its mandated scope, mission, and responsibilities are focused on the most important national and international challenges facing food and agriculture. But it has not been given the adequate resources needed to meet contemporary and likely future challenges.”35 The NRC report further recommended that the U.S. should strengthen its public investment in agricultural R&D to ensure that it continues its ability to remain a global leader in innovation, food production, and health promotion.

Opportunities for agricultural research are growing, as Congress recognized by expanding USDA’s research mandate in the 2014 Farm Bill to include diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans and the effec-tiveness of conservation practices in addressing nutrient losses. Despite receiving increased funding over the last few years, AFRI’s budget is still only half of the level autho-rized in the 2014 Farm Bill, limiting the program’s capacity to satisfy the expanded research focus areas mandated by Congress. In addition, inadequate funding combined with AFRI’s multi-year commitments to existing projects have reduced the availability of funds for individual, investigator-initiated grants.

AFRI’s continued success will depend on securing additional funding to meet the recommended authorization level. With a budget of $700 million (an increase of $350 million over FY 2016), AFRI could support more than 500 new research grants. An ARS budget of $1.2 billion ($60 million above FY 2016) will allow for the continued growth of agricultural research efforts.

FASEB recommends a minimum of $700 million for AFRI and $1.2 billion for ARS in FY 2017. These funding levels represent a first step toward a longer-range commitment to sustain the vital field of agricultural research.

35 The National Academies Press. Spurring Innovation in Food and Agriculture: A Review of the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (2014).


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

USDA


Department of Energy Office of Science

The Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal sponsor of fundamental energy research and the largest supporter of basic physical sciences research. DOE SC awards

competitive, merit-based grants to researchers in all 50 states and at more than 300 universities. The Office of Science also operates ten of the seventeen world-class National Laboratories, and manages state-of-the-art facilities used by more than 31,000 scientists and engi-neers annually.36 These laboratories develop unique, multidisciplinary scientific capabilities that are beyond the scope of individual academic and industrial institutions. Researchers supported by DOE SC have been awarded 115 Nobel Prizes.37

The entire research community benefits from the unmatched scientific and technological instrumentation maintained by DOE SC, such as supercomputers, x-ray light sources, colliders, and particle accelerators. Scientific user facilities for nanoscience, plasma science, genomic sequencing, and microbiology administered by DOE SC are among the most advanced tools of modern science, enabling researchers to explore a wide range of basic questions and areas of inquiry. Discoveries made possible by such technologies improve health, spur economic growth, and support a secure and sustainable energy future. Over forty Fortune 500 companies and dozens of small businesses rely on having access to DOE SC facilities each year.

Research funded by DOE SC revealed new knowledge about the effects of radiation providing data necessary to determine standards for protecting individuals from excessive exposure. Other studies using radioisotopes led to critical discoveries in medical diagnostic techniques and expanded clinical capabilities. Advanced computing systems and unique resources supported by DOE SC enabled a broad array of technological innovation, including the development and construction of accelerator-based x-ray synchrotron light sources, particle colliders and detectors, and fusion energy experiments. Scientific breakthroughs related to solar energy, bioenergy, chemistry, and materials science have also been shaped by DOE SC research.

36 http://science.energy.gov/~/media/budget/pdf/sc-budget-request-to-congress/fy-2016/FY_2016_Office_of_Science-Overview.pdf

37 http://science.energy.gov/about/honors-and-awards/doe-nobel-laureates/

Examples of DOE SC-funded research include:

▪▪ Biochemistry and Toxic Metal Detection: Metal pollution is a serious threat to environmental health. To enable better detection of toxic metals, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a novel method for labeling molecules found in bacterial cells and naturally occurring organic matter that bind to these metals. By measuring the presence of metal-binding compounds in this new way, scientists will be able to study and quantify the distribution of metallic pollutants in the environment and design better management strategies.38

▪▪ Directed Evolution of Enzymes for Biofuel Synthesis: Directed molecular evolution is a powerful technique by which biochemists can generate molecules based on their specific chemical properties. Using this approach, researchers from the University of Minnesota have managed to synthesize an active enzyme for stitching RNA molecules together after starting with inactive precursors. This proof-of-principle experiment for the design of commercially useful enzymes was made possible through the use of the Stanford Synchrotron Light Source (a DOE user facility) to test the properties of the newly synthesized molecules.39

▪▪ Biochemistry of Antibiotic Synthesis: Through a collaborative effort between Argonne National Laboratory, the Scripps Research Institute, and Rice University, scientists have begun to dissect the complex molecular pathways used by certain bacteria to synthesize antimicrobials and other important biochemical compounds. Enabled by the cutting-edge technological resources at Argonne’s Advanced Protein Characterization Facility, the research team has been able to glean information that may lead to the development of more effective antibacterial, antiviral, and antitumor pharmaceuticals.40

▪▪ Genetics of Wood Formation for Biofuel Production: Wood is perhaps the most ancient source of renewable building material and fuel. Funded by the Department of Energy Genomic Science program, researchers

38 http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2014/ber-2014-12-a/39 http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2014/ber-2014-07-aa/40 http://www.anl.gov/articles/new-information-about-bacterial-enzymes-

help-scientists-develop-more-effective-antibiotics



at North Carolina State University developed a novel approach to understand the molecular biology of wood formation in poplar trees. The techniques developed by this team have applications in the study of other plants that are hard to manipulate experimentally, and the insights gained can be used to help boost productivity of important bioenergy crops.41

▪▪ New Cell-Culture Assay for Carcinogen Screening: Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a new cell-culture technique for the screening of potentially carcinogenic chemicals. By starting with a collection of adult stem-cells, the researchers have been able to generate an artificial matrix of specialized cells that more closely resemble the complex structure of an actual organ. When this matrix is exposed to different chemicals, the scientists can more accurately detect the tell-tale signs of cancerous growth. This new technique will thus aid in the safety testing of a wide-range of chemical agents.42

Maintaining Our Leadership in Fundamental Energy Research

The physical, chemical, biological, and computational research supported by DOE SC provides the foundation for fundamental discovery that has contributed to the devel-opment of new technologies and industries that have made the U.S. a leader in science and innovation. Sustainable funding for DOE SC will transform our understanding of nature and strengthen our national security.

41 http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2015/ber-2015-03-e/42 http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/06/24/screen-chemicals-cancer/

Increased investment will also allow DOE SC to upgrade the infrastructure of the national labs. The number of users accessing the DOE SC labs increased by nearly 20 percent from FY 2011 to FY 2016. These facilities provide the academic, business, and industrial communities with access to some of the most advanced scientific instruments in the world. Resources are required to upgrade existing facilities and plan for the acquisition of new equipment needed for changing national priorities and scientific opportunities. Funds are needed for critical deferred repairs on existing machinery and replacement of outdated instruments. Additional budget growth would support the expansion of high priority research activities including new accelerators, and the development of advanced detector and optics instrumentation.

Increasing the DOE SC budget to $5.67 billion (approxi-mately $325 million above FY 2016 levels) would allow the agency to fund nearly 100 additional research grants. In addition, these funds would help DOE SC acquire cutting edge equipment and support operations at the national labs and user facilities at near optimal levels

To promote sustainable growth, FASEB recommends a minimum of $5.67 billion for DOE SC in FY 2017. This increase represents a commitment to the critical research supported by the agency and would preserve the capacity of our National Labs and user facilities.


DOEDEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF SCIENCE



FASEB Leadership

President Parker B. Antin, PhDAssociate Dean for ResearchCollege of Agriculture and Life SciencesProfessor of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of ArizonaTucson, Arizona President-Elect and Immediate Past President for Science PolicyHudson H. Freeze, PhDProfessor of GlycobiologyDirector, Human Genetics ProgramSanford Children’s Health Research CenterSanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteLa Jolla, California

Immediate Past President Joseph R. Haywood, PhD Professor Pharmacology and Toxicology Assistant Vice President for Regulatory Affairs Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan

In addition, FASEB thanks its member societies’ executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it.

Representing over 125,000 researchers.

FASEB Member Societies

The American Physiological Society

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

American Society for Investigative Pathology

American Society for Nutrition

The American Association of Immunologists

American Association of Anatomists

The Protein Society

Society for Developmental Biology

American Peptide Society

The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

The American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

International Society for Computational Biology

American College of Sports Medicine

Biomedical Engineering Society

Genetics Society of America

American Federation for Medical Research

The Histochemical Society

Society for Pediatric Research

Society for Glycobiology

Association for Molecular Pathology

Society for Redox Biology and Medicine

Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

American Aging Association

U. S. Human Proteome Organization


9650 Rockville PikeBethesda, MD 20814301.634.7000 [email protected] us @FASEBopa


(fy) 2017 funding recommendations

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