wwwfaseborg

Federation oF american SocietieS For experimental Biology

For Biomedical and related liFe ScienceS reSearch

fy 2014

Federal Funding

ii Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Executive SummaryThe Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

(FASEB) is composed of 26 societies with more than 100000 members making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States FASEB enhances the ability of scientists and engineers to improvemdashthrough their researchmdashthe health well-being and productivity of all people

Investment in biomedical and biological research generates new knowledge improved health and leads to new industries and long term economic growth This report presents FASEBrsquos fiscal year (FY) 2014 funding recommendations for the following five critical federal research agencies

National Institutes of Health (NIH)To prevent further loss of capacity protect our prior investment and ensure a sustainable research program FASEB recommends a budget of no less than $320 billion for the NIH in FY 2014

National Science Foundation (NSF)FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the NSF in FY 2014

Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC)FASEB recommends an appropriation of at least $51 billion for the DOE SC in FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)FASEB recommends at least $621 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program in FY 2014

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)FASEB supports funding the USDArsquos Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) at a minimum of $325 million in FY 2014

IntroductionThe federal governmentrsquos investment in biomedical and

life sciences research provides a unique and vital foun-dation for the health and well-being of the nation Today thanks to the creative endeavors of generations of scien-tists and engineers our understanding of the life sciences has led to prodigious advances in human health we have eradicated small pox and polio in the United States (US) developed new therapies for cancer and dramati-cally reduced deaths from heart disease Life expectancy at birth in the US was approximately 50 years in 1912 by 2011 it had risen to nearly 79 years Scientific discoveries gave rise to the biotechnology industry and the application of biological knowledge to a vast range of areas including agriculture the environment and national security The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and its 26 member societies are proud to be contributors to this distinguished legacy

The amazing return on our investment continues and this report highlights a few of the spectacular new discoveries supported by funding from five of our nationrsquos research agencies the National Institutes of Health the National Science Foundation the Department of Energy Office of Science the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program and the Agri-culture and Food Research Initiative of the Department of Agriculture In order to maintain this bounty we must not only press forward with our current efforts but it is essential that we have sustained stable funding to ensure that we can continue to make further improvements in human health and agriculture and inspire the next generation of scientists to lead us in the future

The federal government has a unique role in supporting research Scientists and engineers in every state are hard at work creating the knowledge that will improve health energy independence agricultural productivity and provide the foundation for new industries1 No other public

corporate or charitable entity is willing or able to provide broad and sustained funding for cutting edge science and engineering that will yield new innovations and technologies of the future This is particularly critical for basic research which is the source of profound and paradigm-shifting discoveries While we are certain such discoveries will be made there are no sign posts for where and when the next major breakthrough will occur The breadth of investment required has become too daunting for most of the commercial companies that develop new products from findings from investments in fundamental research to say nothing of those enterprises yet to be created

Our nation and the world are increasingly dependent on advanced research-based technologies and the opportu-nities for advancement have never been greater However as other countries expand their investment in research and devel-opment we need to ensure that the path-breaking discoveries and innovative processes of the 21st century do not belong to our competitors The US share of the global investment in research and development between 1999 and 2009 declined from 38 to 31 percent2 Several developing Asian countries most notably China are rapidly ramping up their expenditures Strong and sustained federal funding will maintain US lead-ership in research and training both of which are crucial to the growth and prosperity of the US economy

We recognize that spending limits are a reality facing all segments of society Priorities must be set and all expenditures must be rigorously scrutinized In this report we respond to this challenge by demonstrating the value of public investment in life sciences research We must continue the investments that have made us the most inno-vative nation in history

1 wwwfaseborgNIHfactsheets 2 National Science Board Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 Arling-

ton VA (NSB 12-01) January 2012 Accessed at httpwwwnsfgovstatisticsseind12appendixhtm

1999

2004

2009

United States EU Japan China

$3246 $2300 $1132 $1257

$2781 $1976 $1077 $530

$2508 $1745 $955 $210

International Comparisons of Gross RampD Expenditures

2 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Institutes of Health

Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has produced an outstanding legacy and American leadership in biomedical research has made us the envy of the world Eighty-five percent

of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States NIH researchers developed the first screening test that reduced mortality from lung cancer sponsored clinical trials to signifi-cantly reduce transmission of human immunodeficiency virus from mother to child uncovered the precise cause of more than 4500 rare diseases and completed a ten-year diet and exercise study showing how we can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes among high-risk people by more than 30 percent Many of these advances arose from investigations designed to explain basic molecular cellular and biological mechanisms

More recently NIH has supported research that led to breakthroughs in

Preventing Colon Cancer Deaths A study funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute found that removing polyps (abnormal growths) during colonoscopy can not only prevent colorectal cancer but also reduce the chance of death from the disease by 53 percent Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in both men and women nationwide and colonoscopies can detect early-stage cancer before symptoms develop allowing doctors to remove any polyps Early detection is important because treatments are more likely to succeed if the disease is caught before it takes hold This study provides strong evidence of the long-term benefit of removing polyps and supports continued screening for colorectal cancer in individuals over age 50

Offering New Hope for Children with an Immunodeficiency Disorder Researchers supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute discovered that gene therapy can safely restore immune function in children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)

a disorder that leaves patients susceptible to a wide range of infections because they cannot produce healthy white blood cells Most children with SCID die by the age of two if left untreated Previously available treatments relied on expensive enzyme replacement injections that had to be continued throughout the childrsquos life A clinical trial found that gene therapy using the patientrsquos own stem cells and low-dose chemotherapy was effective in eliminating the need for enzyme replacement therapy and leading to long-term improved health A second phase of the trial is now underway

Improving Kidney Function Testing A research team that received a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders found that kidney function can be estimated more precisely by measuring blood levels of both creatinine and cystatin C The previous standard of care focused on testing blood levels of creatinine only This new technique could help doctors more accurately diagnose chronic kidney disease which affects an estimated 23 million American adults Kidney disease often has no symptoms until just before the kidneys fail Accurate estimates of kidney function are important for detecting early signs of organ failure Further research will be needed to understand how best to use these tests in clinical settings

Repurposing Older Drugs to Treat Alzheimerrsquos Bexarotene a drug that has been available for ten years to treat skin cancer rapidly reduced beta-amyloid levels in the brains of mice of all ages and shrank amyloid deposits known as plaques in most age groups Abnormally high levels of beta-amyloid have been found in the brains of individuals with the most common late-onset form of Alzheimerrsquos disease This NIH-funded study also found that bexarotene restored cognition and memory in mice and improved the animalsrsquo ability to sense and respond to odors Loss of smell is often a first symptom of Alzheimerrsquos in humans

Eighty-five percent of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 3

NIH

NatioNal iNstitutes of HealtH

Sustained Funding Is Critical in Order to Capitalize on New Scientific Opportunities

The broad program of research supported by NIH is essential for advancing our understanding of basic biological functions reducing human suffering and protecting the country against new and re-emerging disease threats Biomedical research is also a primary source of new innovations in health care and other areas

Exciting new NIH initiatives are poised to accelerate our progress in the search for cures It would be tragic if we could not capitalize on the many opportunities before us The development of a universal vaccine to protect adults and children against both seasonal and pandemic flu and development of gene chips and DNA sequencing technol-ogies that can predict risk for high blood pressure kidney disease diabetes and obesity are just a few of the research breakthroughs that will be delayed if we fail to sustain the investment in NIH

As a result of our prior investment we are the world leader in biomedical research We should not abdicate our competitive edge Without adequate funding NIH will have to sacrifice valuable lines of research The termination of ongoing studies and the diminished availability of grant support will result in the closure of laboratories and the

loss of highly skilled jobs At a time when we are trying to encourage more students to pursue science and engi-neering studies talented young scientists are being driven from science by the disruption of their training and lack of career opportunities

Rising costs of research the increasing complexity of the

scientific enterprise and a loss of purchasing power at NIH

due to flat budgets have made it increasingly competitive

for individual investigators to obtain funding Today only

one in six grant applications will be supported the lowest

rate in NIH history Increasing the NIH budget to $320

billion would provide the agency with an additional $136

billion which could restore funding for R01 grants (multi-

year awards to investigators for specified projects) back to

the level achieved in 2003 and support an additional 1700

researchers while still providing much needed financial

support for other critical areas of the NIH portfolio

To prevent further erosion of the nationrsquos capacity for biomedical research FASEB recommends an appropriation of no less than $320 billion for NIH in FY 2014 to ensure the stability of the research enterprise and provide funding for additional grantees

$0

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FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$308 $307 $307 $320

NIH Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

NIH

4 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the only federal research agency dedicated to advancing fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering NSF serves as

the primary federal funding source for research in fields such as mathematics computer science basic biology with direct application to human health and the social sciences In addition to fostering scientific research the agency undertakes innovative efforts to strengthen science technology engineering and mathematics education nationwide These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

Recent examples of outstanding NSF funded research include

Using Light to Better Understand the Brain The overwhelming complexity of the brain limits our ability to understand and treat neurological and psychiatric illnesses The emerging technique of optogenetics represents a promising approach to overcoming this limitation by deconstructing the brainrsquos complexity Using light-responsive proteins genetically introduced into the cells of living organisms optogenetics allows the behavior of highly specific and functionally similar populations of cells to be controlled Researchers are using optogenetics to make phenomenal progress in the expansion of our knowledge of the brain which lays the foundation for the next generation of new breakthrough therapies for Parkinsonrsquos disease and other devastating disorders

Building Biological Machines Using only hydrogel heart cells and a 3-D printer researchers have created cell-powered non-electric walking machines The

locomotion of the ldquobio-botrdquo is driven by the beating of heart cells By integrating different types of cells that are sensitive to specific environmental stimuli such as drugs or toxins bio-bots could be used as sensors Eventually bio-bots may be used as neutralizers of toxic chemicals and could be customized for applications in medicine energy defense and the environment

Using Biodiversity to Develop Biofuel Alternatives The search for alternate energy sources is growing in economic importance as the fossil fuel supply rapidly depletes and concerns about its environmental effects grow NSF-supported research at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is exploring the use of prairie biomass as an alternative biofuel to corn and soybean monocultures Prairie plots with higher species diversity yield a greater energy gain than monocultures and sequester larger amounts of carbon dioxide in soil and in underground root systems The discoveries at Cedar Creek suggest that high-diversity prairie biomass may be a viable biofuel alternative for our nationrsquos energy needs that minimizes production of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing wildlife benefits and ecosystem values

Opening New Areas of Hearing Loss Research A team of scientists has determined the 3-D atomic structure of an important component of inner ear hair cells essential for both hearing and balance Inner ear hair cells have bundles of cilia on their exposed surface that convert sound and head position information

These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

$0

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$3

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$6

$7

$8

$9

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$69 $70 $71 $74

NSF Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 5

NSFNatioNal scieNce fouNdatioN

into neural signals The maintenance of physical linkages among cilia in the bundles is critical to proper functioning of the inner ear Genetic mutations in the proteins responsible for this linkage often result in congenital deafness and balance disorders Armed with the atomic structure and biological mechanism results of this research will position researchers to develop more powerful therapeutic interventions for hearing impairment and balance deficits

Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientists An NSF program to prepare future scientists and engineers the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately 2000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science technology engineering or mathematics NSF graduate research fellows have become leaders in the scientific community including Brian K Kobilka the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Serge Haroch and David J Wineland who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

Maintaining Global Leadership

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented fiscal challenges scientific and technological advances

are needed to keep our nation globally competitive and enable the economic growth that is born out of discovery NSFrsquos broad portfolio of fundamental research expands the frontiers of knowledge and fuels innovation in other more mission-oriented agencies Furthermore through its education and training initiatives NSF ensures the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce including at research institutions and high-tech companies

Failure to build on prior NSF investments and continue support for the agency as science expands would slow the pace of discovery discourage the next generation of scien-tists and engineers and sacrifice our position as the global leader in innovation

FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2014 to prevent contraction Our broader goal is a sustainable research program a return to the demonstrated capacity level and a funding trajectory reflective of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization Our recommended increase of $304 million would fund an additional 324 investigators

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

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FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

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FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

ii Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Executive SummaryThe Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

(FASEB) is composed of 26 societies with more than 100000 members making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States FASEB enhances the ability of scientists and engineers to improvemdashthrough their researchmdashthe health well-being and productivity of all people

Investment in biomedical and biological research generates new knowledge improved health and leads to new industries and long term economic growth This report presents FASEBrsquos fiscal year (FY) 2014 funding recommendations for the following five critical federal research agencies

National Institutes of Health (NIH)To prevent further loss of capacity protect our prior investment and ensure a sustainable research program FASEB recommends a budget of no less than $320 billion for the NIH in FY 2014

National Science Foundation (NSF)FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the NSF in FY 2014

Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC)FASEB recommends an appropriation of at least $51 billion for the DOE SC in FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)FASEB recommends at least $621 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program in FY 2014

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)FASEB supports funding the USDArsquos Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) at a minimum of $325 million in FY 2014

IntroductionThe federal governmentrsquos investment in biomedical and

life sciences research provides a unique and vital foun-dation for the health and well-being of the nation Today thanks to the creative endeavors of generations of scien-tists and engineers our understanding of the life sciences has led to prodigious advances in human health we have eradicated small pox and polio in the United States (US) developed new therapies for cancer and dramati-cally reduced deaths from heart disease Life expectancy at birth in the US was approximately 50 years in 1912 by 2011 it had risen to nearly 79 years Scientific discoveries gave rise to the biotechnology industry and the application of biological knowledge to a vast range of areas including agriculture the environment and national security The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and its 26 member societies are proud to be contributors to this distinguished legacy

The amazing return on our investment continues and this report highlights a few of the spectacular new discoveries supported by funding from five of our nationrsquos research agencies the National Institutes of Health the National Science Foundation the Department of Energy Office of Science the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program and the Agri-culture and Food Research Initiative of the Department of Agriculture In order to maintain this bounty we must not only press forward with our current efforts but it is essential that we have sustained stable funding to ensure that we can continue to make further improvements in human health and agriculture and inspire the next generation of scientists to lead us in the future

The federal government has a unique role in supporting research Scientists and engineers in every state are hard at work creating the knowledge that will improve health energy independence agricultural productivity and provide the foundation for new industries1 No other public

corporate or charitable entity is willing or able to provide broad and sustained funding for cutting edge science and engineering that will yield new innovations and technologies of the future This is particularly critical for basic research which is the source of profound and paradigm-shifting discoveries While we are certain such discoveries will be made there are no sign posts for where and when the next major breakthrough will occur The breadth of investment required has become too daunting for most of the commercial companies that develop new products from findings from investments in fundamental research to say nothing of those enterprises yet to be created

Our nation and the world are increasingly dependent on advanced research-based technologies and the opportu-nities for advancement have never been greater However as other countries expand their investment in research and devel-opment we need to ensure that the path-breaking discoveries and innovative processes of the 21st century do not belong to our competitors The US share of the global investment in research and development between 1999 and 2009 declined from 38 to 31 percent2 Several developing Asian countries most notably China are rapidly ramping up their expenditures Strong and sustained federal funding will maintain US lead-ership in research and training both of which are crucial to the growth and prosperity of the US economy

We recognize that spending limits are a reality facing all segments of society Priorities must be set and all expenditures must be rigorously scrutinized In this report we respond to this challenge by demonstrating the value of public investment in life sciences research We must continue the investments that have made us the most inno-vative nation in history

1 wwwfaseborgNIHfactsheets 2 National Science Board Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 Arling-

ton VA (NSB 12-01) January 2012 Accessed at httpwwwnsfgovstatisticsseind12appendixhtm

1999

2004

2009

United States EU Japan China

$3246 $2300 $1132 $1257

$2781 $1976 $1077 $530

$2508 $1745 $955 $210

International Comparisons of Gross RampD Expenditures

2 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Institutes of Health

Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has produced an outstanding legacy and American leadership in biomedical research has made us the envy of the world Eighty-five percent

of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States NIH researchers developed the first screening test that reduced mortality from lung cancer sponsored clinical trials to signifi-cantly reduce transmission of human immunodeficiency virus from mother to child uncovered the precise cause of more than 4500 rare diseases and completed a ten-year diet and exercise study showing how we can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes among high-risk people by more than 30 percent Many of these advances arose from investigations designed to explain basic molecular cellular and biological mechanisms

More recently NIH has supported research that led to breakthroughs in

Preventing Colon Cancer Deaths A study funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute found that removing polyps (abnormal growths) during colonoscopy can not only prevent colorectal cancer but also reduce the chance of death from the disease by 53 percent Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in both men and women nationwide and colonoscopies can detect early-stage cancer before symptoms develop allowing doctors to remove any polyps Early detection is important because treatments are more likely to succeed if the disease is caught before it takes hold This study provides strong evidence of the long-term benefit of removing polyps and supports continued screening for colorectal cancer in individuals over age 50

Offering New Hope for Children with an Immunodeficiency Disorder Researchers supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute discovered that gene therapy can safely restore immune function in children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)

a disorder that leaves patients susceptible to a wide range of infections because they cannot produce healthy white blood cells Most children with SCID die by the age of two if left untreated Previously available treatments relied on expensive enzyme replacement injections that had to be continued throughout the childrsquos life A clinical trial found that gene therapy using the patientrsquos own stem cells and low-dose chemotherapy was effective in eliminating the need for enzyme replacement therapy and leading to long-term improved health A second phase of the trial is now underway

Improving Kidney Function Testing A research team that received a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders found that kidney function can be estimated more precisely by measuring blood levels of both creatinine and cystatin C The previous standard of care focused on testing blood levels of creatinine only This new technique could help doctors more accurately diagnose chronic kidney disease which affects an estimated 23 million American adults Kidney disease often has no symptoms until just before the kidneys fail Accurate estimates of kidney function are important for detecting early signs of organ failure Further research will be needed to understand how best to use these tests in clinical settings

Repurposing Older Drugs to Treat Alzheimerrsquos Bexarotene a drug that has been available for ten years to treat skin cancer rapidly reduced beta-amyloid levels in the brains of mice of all ages and shrank amyloid deposits known as plaques in most age groups Abnormally high levels of beta-amyloid have been found in the brains of individuals with the most common late-onset form of Alzheimerrsquos disease This NIH-funded study also found that bexarotene restored cognition and memory in mice and improved the animalsrsquo ability to sense and respond to odors Loss of smell is often a first symptom of Alzheimerrsquos in humans

Eighty-five percent of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 3

NIH

NatioNal iNstitutes of HealtH

Sustained Funding Is Critical in Order to Capitalize on New Scientific Opportunities

The broad program of research supported by NIH is essential for advancing our understanding of basic biological functions reducing human suffering and protecting the country against new and re-emerging disease threats Biomedical research is also a primary source of new innovations in health care and other areas

Exciting new NIH initiatives are poised to accelerate our progress in the search for cures It would be tragic if we could not capitalize on the many opportunities before us The development of a universal vaccine to protect adults and children against both seasonal and pandemic flu and development of gene chips and DNA sequencing technol-ogies that can predict risk for high blood pressure kidney disease diabetes and obesity are just a few of the research breakthroughs that will be delayed if we fail to sustain the investment in NIH

As a result of our prior investment we are the world leader in biomedical research We should not abdicate our competitive edge Without adequate funding NIH will have to sacrifice valuable lines of research The termination of ongoing studies and the diminished availability of grant support will result in the closure of laboratories and the

loss of highly skilled jobs At a time when we are trying to encourage more students to pursue science and engi-neering studies talented young scientists are being driven from science by the disruption of their training and lack of career opportunities

Rising costs of research the increasing complexity of the

scientific enterprise and a loss of purchasing power at NIH

due to flat budgets have made it increasingly competitive

for individual investigators to obtain funding Today only

one in six grant applications will be supported the lowest

rate in NIH history Increasing the NIH budget to $320

billion would provide the agency with an additional $136

billion which could restore funding for R01 grants (multi-

year awards to investigators for specified projects) back to

the level achieved in 2003 and support an additional 1700

researchers while still providing much needed financial

support for other critical areas of the NIH portfolio

To prevent further erosion of the nationrsquos capacity for biomedical research FASEB recommends an appropriation of no less than $320 billion for NIH in FY 2014 to ensure the stability of the research enterprise and provide funding for additional grantees

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$40

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$308 $307 $307 $320

NIH Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

NIH

4 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the only federal research agency dedicated to advancing fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering NSF serves as

the primary federal funding source for research in fields such as mathematics computer science basic biology with direct application to human health and the social sciences In addition to fostering scientific research the agency undertakes innovative efforts to strengthen science technology engineering and mathematics education nationwide These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

Recent examples of outstanding NSF funded research include

Using Light to Better Understand the Brain The overwhelming complexity of the brain limits our ability to understand and treat neurological and psychiatric illnesses The emerging technique of optogenetics represents a promising approach to overcoming this limitation by deconstructing the brainrsquos complexity Using light-responsive proteins genetically introduced into the cells of living organisms optogenetics allows the behavior of highly specific and functionally similar populations of cells to be controlled Researchers are using optogenetics to make phenomenal progress in the expansion of our knowledge of the brain which lays the foundation for the next generation of new breakthrough therapies for Parkinsonrsquos disease and other devastating disorders

Building Biological Machines Using only hydrogel heart cells and a 3-D printer researchers have created cell-powered non-electric walking machines The

locomotion of the ldquobio-botrdquo is driven by the beating of heart cells By integrating different types of cells that are sensitive to specific environmental stimuli such as drugs or toxins bio-bots could be used as sensors Eventually bio-bots may be used as neutralizers of toxic chemicals and could be customized for applications in medicine energy defense and the environment

Using Biodiversity to Develop Biofuel Alternatives The search for alternate energy sources is growing in economic importance as the fossil fuel supply rapidly depletes and concerns about its environmental effects grow NSF-supported research at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is exploring the use of prairie biomass as an alternative biofuel to corn and soybean monocultures Prairie plots with higher species diversity yield a greater energy gain than monocultures and sequester larger amounts of carbon dioxide in soil and in underground root systems The discoveries at Cedar Creek suggest that high-diversity prairie biomass may be a viable biofuel alternative for our nationrsquos energy needs that minimizes production of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing wildlife benefits and ecosystem values

Opening New Areas of Hearing Loss Research A team of scientists has determined the 3-D atomic structure of an important component of inner ear hair cells essential for both hearing and balance Inner ear hair cells have bundles of cilia on their exposed surface that convert sound and head position information

These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$69 $70 $71 $74

NSF Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 5

NSFNatioNal scieNce fouNdatioN

into neural signals The maintenance of physical linkages among cilia in the bundles is critical to proper functioning of the inner ear Genetic mutations in the proteins responsible for this linkage often result in congenital deafness and balance disorders Armed with the atomic structure and biological mechanism results of this research will position researchers to develop more powerful therapeutic interventions for hearing impairment and balance deficits

Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientists An NSF program to prepare future scientists and engineers the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately 2000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science technology engineering or mathematics NSF graduate research fellows have become leaders in the scientific community including Brian K Kobilka the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Serge Haroch and David J Wineland who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

Maintaining Global Leadership

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented fiscal challenges scientific and technological advances

are needed to keep our nation globally competitive and enable the economic growth that is born out of discovery NSFrsquos broad portfolio of fundamental research expands the frontiers of knowledge and fuels innovation in other more mission-oriented agencies Furthermore through its education and training initiatives NSF ensures the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce including at research institutions and high-tech companies

Failure to build on prior NSF investments and continue support for the agency as science expands would slow the pace of discovery discourage the next generation of scien-tists and engineers and sacrifice our position as the global leader in innovation

FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2014 to prevent contraction Our broader goal is a sustainable research program a return to the demonstrated capacity level and a funding trajectory reflective of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization Our recommended increase of $304 million would fund an additional 324 investigators

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

IntroductionThe federal governmentrsquos investment in biomedical and

life sciences research provides a unique and vital foun-dation for the health and well-being of the nation Today thanks to the creative endeavors of generations of scien-tists and engineers our understanding of the life sciences has led to prodigious advances in human health we have eradicated small pox and polio in the United States (US) developed new therapies for cancer and dramati-cally reduced deaths from heart disease Life expectancy at birth in the US was approximately 50 years in 1912 by 2011 it had risen to nearly 79 years Scientific discoveries gave rise to the biotechnology industry and the application of biological knowledge to a vast range of areas including agriculture the environment and national security The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and its 26 member societies are proud to be contributors to this distinguished legacy

The amazing return on our investment continues and this report highlights a few of the spectacular new discoveries supported by funding from five of our nationrsquos research agencies the National Institutes of Health the National Science Foundation the Department of Energy Office of Science the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program and the Agri-culture and Food Research Initiative of the Department of Agriculture In order to maintain this bounty we must not only press forward with our current efforts but it is essential that we have sustained stable funding to ensure that we can continue to make further improvements in human health and agriculture and inspire the next generation of scientists to lead us in the future

The federal government has a unique role in supporting research Scientists and engineers in every state are hard at work creating the knowledge that will improve health energy independence agricultural productivity and provide the foundation for new industries1 No other public

corporate or charitable entity is willing or able to provide broad and sustained funding for cutting edge science and engineering that will yield new innovations and technologies of the future This is particularly critical for basic research which is the source of profound and paradigm-shifting discoveries While we are certain such discoveries will be made there are no sign posts for where and when the next major breakthrough will occur The breadth of investment required has become too daunting for most of the commercial companies that develop new products from findings from investments in fundamental research to say nothing of those enterprises yet to be created

Our nation and the world are increasingly dependent on advanced research-based technologies and the opportu-nities for advancement have never been greater However as other countries expand their investment in research and devel-opment we need to ensure that the path-breaking discoveries and innovative processes of the 21st century do not belong to our competitors The US share of the global investment in research and development between 1999 and 2009 declined from 38 to 31 percent2 Several developing Asian countries most notably China are rapidly ramping up their expenditures Strong and sustained federal funding will maintain US lead-ership in research and training both of which are crucial to the growth and prosperity of the US economy

We recognize that spending limits are a reality facing all segments of society Priorities must be set and all expenditures must be rigorously scrutinized In this report we respond to this challenge by demonstrating the value of public investment in life sciences research We must continue the investments that have made us the most inno-vative nation in history

1 wwwfaseborgNIHfactsheets 2 National Science Board Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 Arling-

ton VA (NSB 12-01) January 2012 Accessed at httpwwwnsfgovstatisticsseind12appendixhtm

1999

2004

2009

United States EU Japan China

$3246 $2300 $1132 $1257

$2781 $1976 $1077 $530

$2508 $1745 $955 $210

International Comparisons of Gross RampD Expenditures

2 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Institutes of Health

Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has produced an outstanding legacy and American leadership in biomedical research has made us the envy of the world Eighty-five percent

of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States NIH researchers developed the first screening test that reduced mortality from lung cancer sponsored clinical trials to signifi-cantly reduce transmission of human immunodeficiency virus from mother to child uncovered the precise cause of more than 4500 rare diseases and completed a ten-year diet and exercise study showing how we can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes among high-risk people by more than 30 percent Many of these advances arose from investigations designed to explain basic molecular cellular and biological mechanisms

More recently NIH has supported research that led to breakthroughs in

Preventing Colon Cancer Deaths A study funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute found that removing polyps (abnormal growths) during colonoscopy can not only prevent colorectal cancer but also reduce the chance of death from the disease by 53 percent Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in both men and women nationwide and colonoscopies can detect early-stage cancer before symptoms develop allowing doctors to remove any polyps Early detection is important because treatments are more likely to succeed if the disease is caught before it takes hold This study provides strong evidence of the long-term benefit of removing polyps and supports continued screening for colorectal cancer in individuals over age 50

Offering New Hope for Children with an Immunodeficiency Disorder Researchers supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute discovered that gene therapy can safely restore immune function in children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)

a disorder that leaves patients susceptible to a wide range of infections because they cannot produce healthy white blood cells Most children with SCID die by the age of two if left untreated Previously available treatments relied on expensive enzyme replacement injections that had to be continued throughout the childrsquos life A clinical trial found that gene therapy using the patientrsquos own stem cells and low-dose chemotherapy was effective in eliminating the need for enzyme replacement therapy and leading to long-term improved health A second phase of the trial is now underway

Improving Kidney Function Testing A research team that received a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders found that kidney function can be estimated more precisely by measuring blood levels of both creatinine and cystatin C The previous standard of care focused on testing blood levels of creatinine only This new technique could help doctors more accurately diagnose chronic kidney disease which affects an estimated 23 million American adults Kidney disease often has no symptoms until just before the kidneys fail Accurate estimates of kidney function are important for detecting early signs of organ failure Further research will be needed to understand how best to use these tests in clinical settings

Repurposing Older Drugs to Treat Alzheimerrsquos Bexarotene a drug that has been available for ten years to treat skin cancer rapidly reduced beta-amyloid levels in the brains of mice of all ages and shrank amyloid deposits known as plaques in most age groups Abnormally high levels of beta-amyloid have been found in the brains of individuals with the most common late-onset form of Alzheimerrsquos disease This NIH-funded study also found that bexarotene restored cognition and memory in mice and improved the animalsrsquo ability to sense and respond to odors Loss of smell is often a first symptom of Alzheimerrsquos in humans

Eighty-five percent of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 3

NIH

NatioNal iNstitutes of HealtH

Sustained Funding Is Critical in Order to Capitalize on New Scientific Opportunities

The broad program of research supported by NIH is essential for advancing our understanding of basic biological functions reducing human suffering and protecting the country against new and re-emerging disease threats Biomedical research is also a primary source of new innovations in health care and other areas

Exciting new NIH initiatives are poised to accelerate our progress in the search for cures It would be tragic if we could not capitalize on the many opportunities before us The development of a universal vaccine to protect adults and children against both seasonal and pandemic flu and development of gene chips and DNA sequencing technol-ogies that can predict risk for high blood pressure kidney disease diabetes and obesity are just a few of the research breakthroughs that will be delayed if we fail to sustain the investment in NIH

As a result of our prior investment we are the world leader in biomedical research We should not abdicate our competitive edge Without adequate funding NIH will have to sacrifice valuable lines of research The termination of ongoing studies and the diminished availability of grant support will result in the closure of laboratories and the

loss of highly skilled jobs At a time when we are trying to encourage more students to pursue science and engi-neering studies talented young scientists are being driven from science by the disruption of their training and lack of career opportunities

Rising costs of research the increasing complexity of the

scientific enterprise and a loss of purchasing power at NIH

due to flat budgets have made it increasingly competitive

for individual investigators to obtain funding Today only

one in six grant applications will be supported the lowest

rate in NIH history Increasing the NIH budget to $320

billion would provide the agency with an additional $136

billion which could restore funding for R01 grants (multi-

year awards to investigators for specified projects) back to

the level achieved in 2003 and support an additional 1700

researchers while still providing much needed financial

support for other critical areas of the NIH portfolio

To prevent further erosion of the nationrsquos capacity for biomedical research FASEB recommends an appropriation of no less than $320 billion for NIH in FY 2014 to ensure the stability of the research enterprise and provide funding for additional grantees

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$40

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$308 $307 $307 $320

NIH Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

NIH

4 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the only federal research agency dedicated to advancing fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering NSF serves as

the primary federal funding source for research in fields such as mathematics computer science basic biology with direct application to human health and the social sciences In addition to fostering scientific research the agency undertakes innovative efforts to strengthen science technology engineering and mathematics education nationwide These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

Recent examples of outstanding NSF funded research include

Using Light to Better Understand the Brain The overwhelming complexity of the brain limits our ability to understand and treat neurological and psychiatric illnesses The emerging technique of optogenetics represents a promising approach to overcoming this limitation by deconstructing the brainrsquos complexity Using light-responsive proteins genetically introduced into the cells of living organisms optogenetics allows the behavior of highly specific and functionally similar populations of cells to be controlled Researchers are using optogenetics to make phenomenal progress in the expansion of our knowledge of the brain which lays the foundation for the next generation of new breakthrough therapies for Parkinsonrsquos disease and other devastating disorders

Building Biological Machines Using only hydrogel heart cells and a 3-D printer researchers have created cell-powered non-electric walking machines The

locomotion of the ldquobio-botrdquo is driven by the beating of heart cells By integrating different types of cells that are sensitive to specific environmental stimuli such as drugs or toxins bio-bots could be used as sensors Eventually bio-bots may be used as neutralizers of toxic chemicals and could be customized for applications in medicine energy defense and the environment

Using Biodiversity to Develop Biofuel Alternatives The search for alternate energy sources is growing in economic importance as the fossil fuel supply rapidly depletes and concerns about its environmental effects grow NSF-supported research at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is exploring the use of prairie biomass as an alternative biofuel to corn and soybean monocultures Prairie plots with higher species diversity yield a greater energy gain than monocultures and sequester larger amounts of carbon dioxide in soil and in underground root systems The discoveries at Cedar Creek suggest that high-diversity prairie biomass may be a viable biofuel alternative for our nationrsquos energy needs that minimizes production of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing wildlife benefits and ecosystem values

Opening New Areas of Hearing Loss Research A team of scientists has determined the 3-D atomic structure of an important component of inner ear hair cells essential for both hearing and balance Inner ear hair cells have bundles of cilia on their exposed surface that convert sound and head position information

These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$69 $70 $71 $74

NSF Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 5

NSFNatioNal scieNce fouNdatioN

into neural signals The maintenance of physical linkages among cilia in the bundles is critical to proper functioning of the inner ear Genetic mutations in the proteins responsible for this linkage often result in congenital deafness and balance disorders Armed with the atomic structure and biological mechanism results of this research will position researchers to develop more powerful therapeutic interventions for hearing impairment and balance deficits

Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientists An NSF program to prepare future scientists and engineers the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately 2000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science technology engineering or mathematics NSF graduate research fellows have become leaders in the scientific community including Brian K Kobilka the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Serge Haroch and David J Wineland who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

Maintaining Global Leadership

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented fiscal challenges scientific and technological advances

are needed to keep our nation globally competitive and enable the economic growth that is born out of discovery NSFrsquos broad portfolio of fundamental research expands the frontiers of knowledge and fuels innovation in other more mission-oriented agencies Furthermore through its education and training initiatives NSF ensures the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce including at research institutions and high-tech companies

Failure to build on prior NSF investments and continue support for the agency as science expands would slow the pace of discovery discourage the next generation of scien-tists and engineers and sacrifice our position as the global leader in innovation

FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2014 to prevent contraction Our broader goal is a sustainable research program a return to the demonstrated capacity level and a funding trajectory reflective of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization Our recommended increase of $304 million would fund an additional 324 investigators

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

2 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Institutes of Health

Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has produced an outstanding legacy and American leadership in biomedical research has made us the envy of the world Eighty-five percent

of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States NIH researchers developed the first screening test that reduced mortality from lung cancer sponsored clinical trials to signifi-cantly reduce transmission of human immunodeficiency virus from mother to child uncovered the precise cause of more than 4500 rare diseases and completed a ten-year diet and exercise study showing how we can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes among high-risk people by more than 30 percent Many of these advances arose from investigations designed to explain basic molecular cellular and biological mechanisms

More recently NIH has supported research that led to breakthroughs in

Preventing Colon Cancer Deaths A study funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute found that removing polyps (abnormal growths) during colonoscopy can not only prevent colorectal cancer but also reduce the chance of death from the disease by 53 percent Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in both men and women nationwide and colonoscopies can detect early-stage cancer before symptoms develop allowing doctors to remove any polyps Early detection is important because treatments are more likely to succeed if the disease is caught before it takes hold This study provides strong evidence of the long-term benefit of removing polyps and supports continued screening for colorectal cancer in individuals over age 50

Offering New Hope for Children with an Immunodeficiency Disorder Researchers supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute discovered that gene therapy can safely restore immune function in children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)

a disorder that leaves patients susceptible to a wide range of infections because they cannot produce healthy white blood cells Most children with SCID die by the age of two if left untreated Previously available treatments relied on expensive enzyme replacement injections that had to be continued throughout the childrsquos life A clinical trial found that gene therapy using the patientrsquos own stem cells and low-dose chemotherapy was effective in eliminating the need for enzyme replacement therapy and leading to long-term improved health A second phase of the trial is now underway

Improving Kidney Function Testing A research team that received a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders found that kidney function can be estimated more precisely by measuring blood levels of both creatinine and cystatin C The previous standard of care focused on testing blood levels of creatinine only This new technique could help doctors more accurately diagnose chronic kidney disease which affects an estimated 23 million American adults Kidney disease often has no symptoms until just before the kidneys fail Accurate estimates of kidney function are important for detecting early signs of organ failure Further research will be needed to understand how best to use these tests in clinical settings

Repurposing Older Drugs to Treat Alzheimerrsquos Bexarotene a drug that has been available for ten years to treat skin cancer rapidly reduced beta-amyloid levels in the brains of mice of all ages and shrank amyloid deposits known as plaques in most age groups Abnormally high levels of beta-amyloid have been found in the brains of individuals with the most common late-onset form of Alzheimerrsquos disease This NIH-funded study also found that bexarotene restored cognition and memory in mice and improved the animalsrsquo ability to sense and respond to odors Loss of smell is often a first symptom of Alzheimerrsquos in humans

Eighty-five percent of NIH funds are distributed through competitive grants to more than 300000 scientists who work at universities medical schools and other research institutions in nearly every congressional district in the United States

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 3

NIH

NatioNal iNstitutes of HealtH

Sustained Funding Is Critical in Order to Capitalize on New Scientific Opportunities

The broad program of research supported by NIH is essential for advancing our understanding of basic biological functions reducing human suffering and protecting the country against new and re-emerging disease threats Biomedical research is also a primary source of new innovations in health care and other areas

Exciting new NIH initiatives are poised to accelerate our progress in the search for cures It would be tragic if we could not capitalize on the many opportunities before us The development of a universal vaccine to protect adults and children against both seasonal and pandemic flu and development of gene chips and DNA sequencing technol-ogies that can predict risk for high blood pressure kidney disease diabetes and obesity are just a few of the research breakthroughs that will be delayed if we fail to sustain the investment in NIH

As a result of our prior investment we are the world leader in biomedical research We should not abdicate our competitive edge Without adequate funding NIH will have to sacrifice valuable lines of research The termination of ongoing studies and the diminished availability of grant support will result in the closure of laboratories and the

loss of highly skilled jobs At a time when we are trying to encourage more students to pursue science and engi-neering studies talented young scientists are being driven from science by the disruption of their training and lack of career opportunities

Rising costs of research the increasing complexity of the

scientific enterprise and a loss of purchasing power at NIH

due to flat budgets have made it increasingly competitive

for individual investigators to obtain funding Today only

one in six grant applications will be supported the lowest

rate in NIH history Increasing the NIH budget to $320

billion would provide the agency with an additional $136

billion which could restore funding for R01 grants (multi-

year awards to investigators for specified projects) back to

the level achieved in 2003 and support an additional 1700

researchers while still providing much needed financial

support for other critical areas of the NIH portfolio

To prevent further erosion of the nationrsquos capacity for biomedical research FASEB recommends an appropriation of no less than $320 billion for NIH in FY 2014 to ensure the stability of the research enterprise and provide funding for additional grantees

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$40

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$308 $307 $307 $320

NIH Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

NIH

4 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the only federal research agency dedicated to advancing fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering NSF serves as

the primary federal funding source for research in fields such as mathematics computer science basic biology with direct application to human health and the social sciences In addition to fostering scientific research the agency undertakes innovative efforts to strengthen science technology engineering and mathematics education nationwide These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

Recent examples of outstanding NSF funded research include

Using Light to Better Understand the Brain The overwhelming complexity of the brain limits our ability to understand and treat neurological and psychiatric illnesses The emerging technique of optogenetics represents a promising approach to overcoming this limitation by deconstructing the brainrsquos complexity Using light-responsive proteins genetically introduced into the cells of living organisms optogenetics allows the behavior of highly specific and functionally similar populations of cells to be controlled Researchers are using optogenetics to make phenomenal progress in the expansion of our knowledge of the brain which lays the foundation for the next generation of new breakthrough therapies for Parkinsonrsquos disease and other devastating disorders

Building Biological Machines Using only hydrogel heart cells and a 3-D printer researchers have created cell-powered non-electric walking machines The

locomotion of the ldquobio-botrdquo is driven by the beating of heart cells By integrating different types of cells that are sensitive to specific environmental stimuli such as drugs or toxins bio-bots could be used as sensors Eventually bio-bots may be used as neutralizers of toxic chemicals and could be customized for applications in medicine energy defense and the environment

Using Biodiversity to Develop Biofuel Alternatives The search for alternate energy sources is growing in economic importance as the fossil fuel supply rapidly depletes and concerns about its environmental effects grow NSF-supported research at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is exploring the use of prairie biomass as an alternative biofuel to corn and soybean monocultures Prairie plots with higher species diversity yield a greater energy gain than monocultures and sequester larger amounts of carbon dioxide in soil and in underground root systems The discoveries at Cedar Creek suggest that high-diversity prairie biomass may be a viable biofuel alternative for our nationrsquos energy needs that minimizes production of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing wildlife benefits and ecosystem values

Opening New Areas of Hearing Loss Research A team of scientists has determined the 3-D atomic structure of an important component of inner ear hair cells essential for both hearing and balance Inner ear hair cells have bundles of cilia on their exposed surface that convert sound and head position information

These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$69 $70 $71 $74

NSF Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 5

NSFNatioNal scieNce fouNdatioN

into neural signals The maintenance of physical linkages among cilia in the bundles is critical to proper functioning of the inner ear Genetic mutations in the proteins responsible for this linkage often result in congenital deafness and balance disorders Armed with the atomic structure and biological mechanism results of this research will position researchers to develop more powerful therapeutic interventions for hearing impairment and balance deficits

Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientists An NSF program to prepare future scientists and engineers the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately 2000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science technology engineering or mathematics NSF graduate research fellows have become leaders in the scientific community including Brian K Kobilka the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Serge Haroch and David J Wineland who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

Maintaining Global Leadership

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented fiscal challenges scientific and technological advances

are needed to keep our nation globally competitive and enable the economic growth that is born out of discovery NSFrsquos broad portfolio of fundamental research expands the frontiers of knowledge and fuels innovation in other more mission-oriented agencies Furthermore through its education and training initiatives NSF ensures the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce including at research institutions and high-tech companies

Failure to build on prior NSF investments and continue support for the agency as science expands would slow the pace of discovery discourage the next generation of scien-tists and engineers and sacrifice our position as the global leader in innovation

FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2014 to prevent contraction Our broader goal is a sustainable research program a return to the demonstrated capacity level and a funding trajectory reflective of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization Our recommended increase of $304 million would fund an additional 324 investigators

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 3

NIH

NatioNal iNstitutes of HealtH

Sustained Funding Is Critical in Order to Capitalize on New Scientific Opportunities

The broad program of research supported by NIH is essential for advancing our understanding of basic biological functions reducing human suffering and protecting the country against new and re-emerging disease threats Biomedical research is also a primary source of new innovations in health care and other areas

Exciting new NIH initiatives are poised to accelerate our progress in the search for cures It would be tragic if we could not capitalize on the many opportunities before us The development of a universal vaccine to protect adults and children against both seasonal and pandemic flu and development of gene chips and DNA sequencing technol-ogies that can predict risk for high blood pressure kidney disease diabetes and obesity are just a few of the research breakthroughs that will be delayed if we fail to sustain the investment in NIH

As a result of our prior investment we are the world leader in biomedical research We should not abdicate our competitive edge Without adequate funding NIH will have to sacrifice valuable lines of research The termination of ongoing studies and the diminished availability of grant support will result in the closure of laboratories and the

loss of highly skilled jobs At a time when we are trying to encourage more students to pursue science and engi-neering studies talented young scientists are being driven from science by the disruption of their training and lack of career opportunities

Rising costs of research the increasing complexity of the

scientific enterprise and a loss of purchasing power at NIH

due to flat budgets have made it increasingly competitive

for individual investigators to obtain funding Today only

one in six grant applications will be supported the lowest

rate in NIH history Increasing the NIH budget to $320

billion would provide the agency with an additional $136

billion which could restore funding for R01 grants (multi-

year awards to investigators for specified projects) back to

the level achieved in 2003 and support an additional 1700

researchers while still providing much needed financial

support for other critical areas of the NIH portfolio

To prevent further erosion of the nationrsquos capacity for biomedical research FASEB recommends an appropriation of no less than $320 billion for NIH in FY 2014 to ensure the stability of the research enterprise and provide funding for additional grantees

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$40

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$308 $307 $307 $320

NIH Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

NIH

4 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the only federal research agency dedicated to advancing fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering NSF serves as

the primary federal funding source for research in fields such as mathematics computer science basic biology with direct application to human health and the social sciences In addition to fostering scientific research the agency undertakes innovative efforts to strengthen science technology engineering and mathematics education nationwide These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

Recent examples of outstanding NSF funded research include

Using Light to Better Understand the Brain The overwhelming complexity of the brain limits our ability to understand and treat neurological and psychiatric illnesses The emerging technique of optogenetics represents a promising approach to overcoming this limitation by deconstructing the brainrsquos complexity Using light-responsive proteins genetically introduced into the cells of living organisms optogenetics allows the behavior of highly specific and functionally similar populations of cells to be controlled Researchers are using optogenetics to make phenomenal progress in the expansion of our knowledge of the brain which lays the foundation for the next generation of new breakthrough therapies for Parkinsonrsquos disease and other devastating disorders

Building Biological Machines Using only hydrogel heart cells and a 3-D printer researchers have created cell-powered non-electric walking machines The

locomotion of the ldquobio-botrdquo is driven by the beating of heart cells By integrating different types of cells that are sensitive to specific environmental stimuli such as drugs or toxins bio-bots could be used as sensors Eventually bio-bots may be used as neutralizers of toxic chemicals and could be customized for applications in medicine energy defense and the environment

Using Biodiversity to Develop Biofuel Alternatives The search for alternate energy sources is growing in economic importance as the fossil fuel supply rapidly depletes and concerns about its environmental effects grow NSF-supported research at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is exploring the use of prairie biomass as an alternative biofuel to corn and soybean monocultures Prairie plots with higher species diversity yield a greater energy gain than monocultures and sequester larger amounts of carbon dioxide in soil and in underground root systems The discoveries at Cedar Creek suggest that high-diversity prairie biomass may be a viable biofuel alternative for our nationrsquos energy needs that minimizes production of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing wildlife benefits and ecosystem values

Opening New Areas of Hearing Loss Research A team of scientists has determined the 3-D atomic structure of an important component of inner ear hair cells essential for both hearing and balance Inner ear hair cells have bundles of cilia on their exposed surface that convert sound and head position information

These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$69 $70 $71 $74

NSF Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 5

NSFNatioNal scieNce fouNdatioN

into neural signals The maintenance of physical linkages among cilia in the bundles is critical to proper functioning of the inner ear Genetic mutations in the proteins responsible for this linkage often result in congenital deafness and balance disorders Armed with the atomic structure and biological mechanism results of this research will position researchers to develop more powerful therapeutic interventions for hearing impairment and balance deficits

Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientists An NSF program to prepare future scientists and engineers the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately 2000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science technology engineering or mathematics NSF graduate research fellows have become leaders in the scientific community including Brian K Kobilka the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Serge Haroch and David J Wineland who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

Maintaining Global Leadership

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented fiscal challenges scientific and technological advances

are needed to keep our nation globally competitive and enable the economic growth that is born out of discovery NSFrsquos broad portfolio of fundamental research expands the frontiers of knowledge and fuels innovation in other more mission-oriented agencies Furthermore through its education and training initiatives NSF ensures the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce including at research institutions and high-tech companies

Failure to build on prior NSF investments and continue support for the agency as science expands would slow the pace of discovery discourage the next generation of scien-tists and engineers and sacrifice our position as the global leader in innovation

FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2014 to prevent contraction Our broader goal is a sustainable research program a return to the demonstrated capacity level and a funding trajectory reflective of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization Our recommended increase of $304 million would fund an additional 324 investigators

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

4 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the only federal research agency dedicated to advancing fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering NSF serves as

the primary federal funding source for research in fields such as mathematics computer science basic biology with direct application to human health and the social sciences In addition to fostering scientific research the agency undertakes innovative efforts to strengthen science technology engineering and mathematics education nationwide These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

Recent examples of outstanding NSF funded research include

Using Light to Better Understand the Brain The overwhelming complexity of the brain limits our ability to understand and treat neurological and psychiatric illnesses The emerging technique of optogenetics represents a promising approach to overcoming this limitation by deconstructing the brainrsquos complexity Using light-responsive proteins genetically introduced into the cells of living organisms optogenetics allows the behavior of highly specific and functionally similar populations of cells to be controlled Researchers are using optogenetics to make phenomenal progress in the expansion of our knowledge of the brain which lays the foundation for the next generation of new breakthrough therapies for Parkinsonrsquos disease and other devastating disorders

Building Biological Machines Using only hydrogel heart cells and a 3-D printer researchers have created cell-powered non-electric walking machines The

locomotion of the ldquobio-botrdquo is driven by the beating of heart cells By integrating different types of cells that are sensitive to specific environmental stimuli such as drugs or toxins bio-bots could be used as sensors Eventually bio-bots may be used as neutralizers of toxic chemicals and could be customized for applications in medicine energy defense and the environment

Using Biodiversity to Develop Biofuel Alternatives The search for alternate energy sources is growing in economic importance as the fossil fuel supply rapidly depletes and concerns about its environmental effects grow NSF-supported research at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is exploring the use of prairie biomass as an alternative biofuel to corn and soybean monocultures Prairie plots with higher species diversity yield a greater energy gain than monocultures and sequester larger amounts of carbon dioxide in soil and in underground root systems The discoveries at Cedar Creek suggest that high-diversity prairie biomass may be a viable biofuel alternative for our nationrsquos energy needs that minimizes production of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing wildlife benefits and ecosystem values

Opening New Areas of Hearing Loss Research A team of scientists has determined the 3-D atomic structure of an important component of inner ear hair cells essential for both hearing and balance Inner ear hair cells have bundles of cilia on their exposed surface that convert sound and head position information

These grants awarded to projects of the highest quality and greatest significance in all 50 states are selected using a rigorous merit-review process that evaluates proposals on both scientific and societal value

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$69 $70 $71 $74

NSF Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 5

NSFNatioNal scieNce fouNdatioN

into neural signals The maintenance of physical linkages among cilia in the bundles is critical to proper functioning of the inner ear Genetic mutations in the proteins responsible for this linkage often result in congenital deafness and balance disorders Armed with the atomic structure and biological mechanism results of this research will position researchers to develop more powerful therapeutic interventions for hearing impairment and balance deficits

Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientists An NSF program to prepare future scientists and engineers the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately 2000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science technology engineering or mathematics NSF graduate research fellows have become leaders in the scientific community including Brian K Kobilka the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Serge Haroch and David J Wineland who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

Maintaining Global Leadership

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented fiscal challenges scientific and technological advances

are needed to keep our nation globally competitive and enable the economic growth that is born out of discovery NSFrsquos broad portfolio of fundamental research expands the frontiers of knowledge and fuels innovation in other more mission-oriented agencies Furthermore through its education and training initiatives NSF ensures the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce including at research institutions and high-tech companies

Failure to build on prior NSF investments and continue support for the agency as science expands would slow the pace of discovery discourage the next generation of scien-tists and engineers and sacrifice our position as the global leader in innovation

FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2014 to prevent contraction Our broader goal is a sustainable research program a return to the demonstrated capacity level and a funding trajectory reflective of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization Our recommended increase of $304 million would fund an additional 324 investigators

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$69 $70 $71 $74

NSF Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 5

NSFNatioNal scieNce fouNdatioN

into neural signals The maintenance of physical linkages among cilia in the bundles is critical to proper functioning of the inner ear Genetic mutations in the proteins responsible for this linkage often result in congenital deafness and balance disorders Armed with the atomic structure and biological mechanism results of this research will position researchers to develop more powerful therapeutic interventions for hearing impairment and balance deficits

Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientists An NSF program to prepare future scientists and engineers the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) annually awards approximately 2000 three-year fellowships to outstanding graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science technology engineering or mathematics NSF graduate research fellows have become leaders in the scientific community including Brian K Kobilka the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Serge Haroch and David J Wineland who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

Maintaining Global Leadership

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented fiscal challenges scientific and technological advances

are needed to keep our nation globally competitive and enable the economic growth that is born out of discovery NSFrsquos broad portfolio of fundamental research expands the frontiers of knowledge and fuels innovation in other more mission-oriented agencies Furthermore through its education and training initiatives NSF ensures the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce including at research institutions and high-tech companies

Failure to build on prior NSF investments and continue support for the agency as science expands would slow the pace of discovery discourage the next generation of scien-tists and engineers and sacrifice our position as the global leader in innovation

FASEB recommends a minimum funding level of $74 billion for the National Science Foundation in FY 2014 to prevent contraction Our broader goal is a sustainable research program a return to the demonstrated capacity level and a funding trajectory reflective of the America COMPETES Act reauthorization Our recommended increase of $304 million would fund an additional 324 investigators

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

6 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

DOE Office of Science

The United States Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science (DOE SC) is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental energy research and the nationrsquos largest funder of basic research in the

physical sciences In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories Research and devel-opment located at these national laboratories provides over 26000 researchers with access to particle accelerators advanced light sources supercomputers and other state-of-the-art instrumentation Much of this investigator-initiated research is in the biological sciences In addition to serving as unique resources for academic and government scien-tists the large-scale scientific tools at DOE SC facilities are critical to the research and development capabilities of over 40 Fortune 500 companies including GE Healthcare Exxon Mobil Ford Motor Boeing and Pfizer

Recent highlights from DOE SC-funded scientific break-throughs include

Accelerating Cancer Treatments Actinium-225 (Ac-225) is among the most highly sought after medical isotopes It releases powerful alpha particles and degrades very quickly which facilitates the highly localized destruction of cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue Unfortunately actinium is extremely rare and until recently extremely expensive to produce Researchers have developed a new and

economical technique that can generate one yearrsquos production of the rare isotope in one week Because Ac-225 is likely to be highly effective in the treatment of diffuse cancers which currently are among the most untreatable improved access could open new treatment options for legions of suffering patients

Building Ultra-Strong Materials Stronger than steel pound for pound spider silk combines remarkable flexibility and extreme strength Researchers used the high-brilliance X-ray beams of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand the basis of the materialrsquos unique properties They found that spider silkrsquos strength comes from crystalline lattices that make up about ten percent of the material and its flexibility comes from amorphous regions that comprise the remaining 90 percent This and other insights could in turn lead to improved approaches to making the thinner stronger and lighter materials of the future

Maintaining Supercomputing Leadership This year the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the most powerful supercomputer every built Titan Titan is about 35 percent faster than

In addition to supporting research at over 300 institutions in all 50 states DOE SC funds and manages ten world-class national laboratories

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 7

doe office of scieNce

DOE

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Bill

ions

)

$49 $49 $49 $51

DOE SC Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

its nearest competitor and has the capacity to execute more than 27000 trillion calculations per second This capacity will allow scientists and engineers to simulate highly complex physical systems in greater detail and with more accuracy Among the supercomputerrsquos applications are nuclear energy and weapons management materials science and biomedical research Another potential use for Titan is weather forecasting and climate modeling both of which were essential components to the timeliness and accuracy of predictions of Hurricane Sandy and other extreme weather events

Providing Unique Resources to the Scientific Community and the Nation

A source of abundant safe and sustainable energy is essential for the nationrsquos future and fundamental research supported by DOE SC provides the basis for discovering new energy technologies that can replace fossil fuels and reduce US dependency on foreign oil DOE SC-funded scientists and engineers are also making extraordinary discoveries in other areas of energy research that improve health protect the environment create economic oppor-tunities and strengthen national security In addition the

national lab system advances strategic national goals and creates a research infrastructure unlike any other in the world The advanced instrumentation and technical expertise supported by DOE SC make efficient use of unique research resources bringing affordable access to researchers across the nation without duplication and at minimal cost to the nation and individual institutions

With its crucial mission and unique research facilities investment in DOE SC programs should be one of our highest research priorities DOE SC user facilities benefit the entire research community by providing unparalleled scientific and technological capabilities Now is the time to provide robust federal funding for the fundamental energy research required to overcome the nationrsquos most pressing challenges Moreover DOE SC funding has not grown despite an increase in demand for user facility access The number of researchers using DOE SC facilities each year rose from 20241 in FY 2007 to 25876 in FY 2010 an increase of 278 percent

To promote sustainability FASEB recommends a funding level of at least $51 billion for the Department of Energyrsquos Office of Science in FY 2014

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

8 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic Research Program is the only federal research effort focused exclusively on diseases and conditions that affect our veterans It is an obli-

gation to those who have sacrificed so much for this nation and a valuable investment that has produced significant returns including development of the cardiac pacemaker improved prosthetic limbs advances in liver transplantation and creation of the nicotine patch The research program allows the agency to recruit and retain extremely qualified investigators More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

VArsquos research goals focus on a wide range of health issues facing the entire veteran population from injured soldiers just returning from combat to providing care for those who served in past conflicts The groundbreaking achievements of VA investigators have contributed to advancing the standard of care in the US including

Treating Sensory Loss Researchers developed tested and evaluated the Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) program a comprehensive resource to help veterans cope with the symptoms of the disease which include ringing and buzzing in the ears and other phantom noises Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were exposed to noise from bomb blasts It is the single most prevalent service-connected disability affecting nearly 640000 veterans PTM teaches veterans self-management techniques to treat their condition VA has published handbooks for both veterans and audiologists to expand the dissemination of this exciting new program

Improving Understanding of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) Much of the evidence associated with the biological basis of PTSD has been established by VA-funded investigators who are continuing to examine changes in the body that are linked to the condition Researchers reviewed DNA analysis on hundreds of veterans who were exposed to trauma and isolated a gene variant that may lead to a substantially greater risk of PTSD Additional studies are underway to understand the long-term consequences of PTSD in Vietnam veterans

Advancing Genomic Research The Million Veteran Program (MVP) aims to voluntarily enroll up to a million veterans to help build one of the worldrsquos biggest databases of genetic military combat and medical information in an effort to identify the connections between genes and health and enhance disease screening and diagnosis To date nearly 100000 veterans have donated tissue and blood samples and given consent for researchers to access their medical records Research findings based on MVP may lead to new ways of preventing and treating illnesses in veterans and the population at large and could also help identify more effective therapies for a wide range of illnesses including heart disease diabetes and cancer

Developing New Technology to Increase Quality of Life for Paralyzed Veterans BrainGate a new computer system developed by a partnership between the VA and Brown University is allowing paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms using only their own thoughts Signals are picked up by a sensor implanted in a part of the brain that controls voluntary movements The signals are then translated into commands that power prosthetic or other robotic devices Amputees using BrainGate have been able to serve themselves a cup of coffee operate a computer mouse and perform other tasks that enhance independence and improve their quality of life Additional research is being conducted to improve BrainGate so that users will be able to use e-mail and word processing applications more easily as well as control prosthetic limbs

More than 70 percent of VA researchers are also clinicians who provide direct patient care uniquely positioning the agency to quickly translate discoveries in the laboratory to health care improvements benefitting veterans and civilians alike

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 9

departmeNt of veteraNs affairs medical aNd prostHetic

researcH program

VA

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$580 $581 $581 $621

VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Annual Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2011 httpwwwvbavagovREPORTSabr2011_abrpdf

Demand for VA Services Is Straining Available VA Resources

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced new medical challenges Veterans returning from combat are appearing in VA facilities with devastating injuries including multiple limb loss and extreme psychiatric disorders These are chronic conditions that may require years of ongoing care It is imperative to conduct more research to ensure that veterans receive the most effective therapies possible More funding is also needed to expand efforts related to urgent research goals including developing improved prosthetic technologies and better treatments for traumatic

brain injury significant body burns eye damage suicide prevention and other mental health consequences of war

To sustain current research efforts and address the needs of our service members the VA Medical and Pros-thetic Research Program will need an increase of at least $40 million over the FY 2013 level The budget of the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program has been flat funded for the last three years but data shows the number of veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities rising 130 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2011 with more than 200000 added to the rolls for the first time in 2011 The number of veterans receiving disability payments increased 18 percent in that same time period1

Recognizing that additional research is needed to meet the needs of the growing population FASEB recommends funding the Veterans Administration Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at a minimum of $621 million in FY 2014

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

10 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the premier competitive grants program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting research extension and education

projects at public land grant universities and private institu-tions nationwide AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisci-plinary research to address broad societal challenges and generate knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice AFRI also encourages young scien-tists to pursue careers in agricultural research by providing research funding for over 1700 of the nationrsquos most prom-ising pre- and postdoctoral scholars

Examples of recent USDA-funded research include

Preventing Foodborne Illness Scientists are using multidisciplinary approaches to better understand the process by which disease-causing E coli bacteria are released from the digestive tracts of cattle into the food supply Research on the genetic microbial and environmental factors that cause the bacteria to spread throughout livestock populations will enable scientists to develop new strategies for reducing cattle infections and preventing food contamination

Controlling the Spread of Disease The emergence and transmission of infectious diseases among humans and other animals represent an enormous public health threat In collaboration with NIH and NSF AFRI is supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers to deepen our insight and generate knowledge that will help policymakers develop better strategies for prevention and suppression of zoonotic transmission to humans

Enabling the Production of Better Livestock The completion of the swine genome project is helping us understand the genetic architecture underlying high-quality pork production disease resistance and the efficiency with which feed is converted to meat Taken together this new knowledge will enable the sustainable and more economical production of high-quality pork by farmers In addition newly revealed similarities between the swine and human genomes contribute to our understanding of human health

Managing Agricultural Pests A team of scientists supported by USDA is studying the genomes of soil borne microorganisms that severely damage soybeans and other crops By identifying genes important for the pathogenrsquos harmful effects on plants scientists can develop strategies to manage disease and increase crop production Extension specialists economists and biologists involved with the project will also ensure that the research is efficiently translated into technologies that benefit farmers who lose an estimated $300 million to soybean root and stem rot diseases each year

Training the Next Generation Agricultural Scientist A new AFRI-funded fellowship program has been established to train and develop the next generation of agricultural forestry and food scientists and educators In its first year the program awarded a total of $6 million to 54 students from 32 universities across the country Fellows are already advancing important research projects including a study to identify sources of microbial contamination in imported foods

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014 11

usda agriculture aNd food researcH iNitiative

USDA

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

FY 2014FY 2013FY 2012FY 2011

Fund

s (in

Mill

ions

)

$265 $265 $2666 $325

USDA AFRI Appropriations amp FASEB Recommendation

FY 2014 Appropriations RequestAppropriations Appropriations (Constant 2013 Dollars)

Appropriately Realizing the Potential of Agricultural Research

Global food demand is expected to double by the year 2050 yet the amount of land available for agriculture is not expected to increase substantially The world must address the increased demand for food while simultane-ously meeting the need for better nutrition new biofuel materials sustainable agriculture practices and food safety The effective coordination of research extension and education activities like those supported by AFRI enables efficient translation of scientific discoveries into a broad range of solutions to some of our most daunting obstacles The implementation of those solutions requires a robust and scientifically diverse agricultural research workforce

Agricultural research directly benefits all sectors of society and every geographic region of the country The private sector relies on public investments to increase

productivity improve crops and train future cohorts of agricultural scientists Strong funding for AFRI is one effective way to attract outstanding scientists to careers in agricultural research With the critical focus of its mission and the growing need for progress AFRI is significantly underfunded relative to its current capacity Because of the programrsquos limited budget in FY 2010 only 60 percent of project proposals recommended for funding by review panels received support This is woefully inadequate to ensure viability of a research enterprise at the core of our economy The estimated value of US agricultural exports increased 322 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2010 illustrating the growing demand for agricultural products worldwide yet the AFRI budget has stagnated since the program was established with an authorized funding level of $700 million in the 2008 Farm Bill

FASEB recommends a minimum of $325 million for AFRI in FY 2014 Given that the capacity of the agricultural research system is much greater we support additional sustainable increases to reach the fully authorized level for AFRI as soon as feasible Our recommended increase of $584 million would fund 100 additional investigators

AFRI facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research to address broad societal challenges and build foundational knowledge in high-priority areas of the food and agricultural sciences and translates these discoveries into agricultural practice

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

12 Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

FASEB Leadership

Judith S Bond PhDPenn State College of MedicineDurham North CarolinaPresident Margaret K Offermann MD PhDMedical Oncologist and Tumor BiologistSalutramed Group Inc Atlanta GeorgiaPresident-Elect Immediate Past President for Science Policy

Joseph C LaManna PhDCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OhioImmediate Past President

In addition FASEB thanks our member societiesrsquo executive officers and public affairs staff for their contributions to this report and the discussions that shaped it

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research FY 2014

Representing over 100000 researchers

FASEB Member SocietiesThe 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

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

American Society for Clinical Investigation

Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Teratology Society

The Endocrine Society

The American Society of Human Genetics

Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society

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

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa

9650 Rockville PikeBethesda MD 208143016347000 infofaseborgwwwfaseborgFollow us FASEBopa