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"When we looked at the public-health relevance, there was no question that these projects should have been funded and should continue to be funded." NIH Director Elias Zerhouni The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/13/04 ****** "I strongly urge the Members to resist the temptation to select a few grants for defunding because they do not like the sound of them based on one paragraph out of what probably was a number of pages of information. It would set a dangerous precedent and put a chill on medical research if we start to micromanage individual NIH grants. This has worked well over the years. We have had enormous progress because of these grants in achieving medical knowledge and giving the public a better health care system. I do not think this body, this committee, wants to get into the process of reviewing 120,000 grants and trying to pick 40,000 out of that group for funding." Rep. Ralph Regula -- Chairman, House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, fHouse floor July 11, 2003 ****** I have served on the subcommittee that deals with NIH for a long time, and the one thing I came to understand very quickly is that the day that we politicize NIH research, the day we decide which grants are going to be approved on the basis of a 10-minute horseback debate in the House of Representatives with 434 of the 435 Members in this place who do not even know what the grant is, that is the day we will ruin science research in this country. We have no business making political judgments about those kinds of issues. Rep. David Obey -- Ranking Member, House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, House floor July 11, 2003 ****** "When you look at the impact of sexually transmitted disease, you're talking about HIV/AIDS and many others that affect millions of people and their reproductive lives." NIH Director Elias Zerhouni USA Today, Jan. 13, 2004
****** "Decisions about medical research should be made by scientists, not by politicians promoting an ideological agenda.” Democratic House Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, July 2003
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"Here we have people saying, 'I don't like how that disease was contracted, so I don't want to study that disease.' It's equivalent to sticking your head in the sand. It's very important that the scientific community rises up and objects to the imposition of ideology in these areas."
Alan Leshner, President and CEO, AAAS, Washington Post, 1/19/04
CPR sponsors Congressional briefing -- Lost in Translation: Public Health Implications of Sexual Health Research The Scientific, Public Health, and Advocacy Community Reacts NIH Responds to Congress (Download letter to Congress) CPR Sends Letter of Support to Dr. Zerhouni Dr. Zerhouni Sex-Related Research at NIH Addresses Critical Public Health Issues 2002 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior
Become a Member of CPR - download membership form (pdf) ******
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For more information about the Coalition contact:
Angela Sharpe (COSSA) at (202) 842-3525
or
Karen Studwell (APA) at (202) 336-5585
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VOTE 'NO' on NEUGEBAUER Once again, Members of Congress are charging that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding inappropriate research. An amendment is expected during the House debate on the Labor, HHS bill that would seek to curtail funding for grants involving basic research on mental health issues funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). We hope that you continue to support the scientific review process and vote ‘NO’ on the Neugebauer amendments that seek to rescind funding from peer-reviewed research. As one of these grants has been completed, no money will be available for other research as a result of this amendment.POSSIBLE NEUGEBAUER AMENDMENTS
SEC. __. None of the funds made available in this Act for the National Institute of Mental Health may be used to fund grant number MH064527. The amendment will prohibit the National Institute of Mental Health at the NIH from further funding a grant studying dorm room wall decorations and college students' webpages. The amendment would not cut any funding to NIMH, it simply will prevent the Institute from funding this grant, and free up any funds that would otherwise go to this grant for other mental health grants.
SEC. ___ None of the funds made available in this Act for the National Institute of Mental Health to grant number MH054142. The amendment will prohibit the National Institute of Mental Health at the NIH from further funding a grant studying "what makes a meaningful day?" for college students. The amendment would not cut any funding to NIMH, it simply will prevent the Institute from funding this grant, and free up any funds that would otherwise go to this grant for other mental health grants. NIMH Grants Under Scrutiny
Grant Title: Goals, Identity, and Meaning in Life Grant Number: 5R01MH054142-08 University: University of Missouri, Columbia
Research Relevance: This study examines the mental and physical health benefits of focusing on positive life goals as compared to traumatic events through journal writing.
· The proposed study has relevance to the prevention of mental disorders as writing about stressful events or traumatic experiences may improve mental health and well-being and may prevent the onset of depression.
· Giving patients self-help tools to alleviate depression could minimize the development of other chronic health conditions that flow from depression, ultimately minimizing health care costs, and strains on the health care delivery system.
· Understanding the use of goal setting as a treatment for those with mental or emotional disorders, combined with the importance of highlighting positive memories in cognitive behavioral therapy, is important to furthering treatment development.
· The scientific field has recognized the importance of this NIH-funded work. In 2001, the American Psychological Association honored this scientist with the Templeton Positive Psychology Prize.
Grant Title: Expressions of Identity in Virtual and Physical Spaces Grant Number: 1R03MH064527-01A1 University: University of Texas, Austin
Research Relevance: Assessing the physical and virtual environments that individuals choose for themselves may convey whether that individual is suffering from depression or other psychological disorders. Information could assist in developing effective suicide prevention programs.
· Self-expression is a core feature of identity and self-concept, and is often a marker of healthy functioning as well as clinical disorders (e.g., depression; dissociative and other personality disorders). · Self-expression is also a marker of social group affiliation, the lack of which is involved in mood disturbance, and which also is critical in the ability to mobilize social supports (which in turn are key to effective coping).
Is This Research Outside of the NIH or NIMH Mission?
NIH is the premier biomedical and behavioral research institution in the world. Its mission is to support science to improve the health and well-being of all humanity. At a time when genetic control over diseases is tantalizingly close but not yet possible, knowledge of the behavioral influences on health is a crucial component in the nation’s battles against the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Appropriately, NIH supports a large and robust portfolio of research on all aspects of human development and disease.
Contrary to the assertion that NIMH’s mission should focus solely on severe mental illnesses, and away from promoting mental health, the Public Health Service Act (Report 102-546) provides a clear picture of congressional intent regarding NIMH’s mission: “The research program established under this subpart shall include support for biomedical and behavioral neuroscience and shall be designed to further the treatment and prevention of mental illness, the promotion of mental health, and the study of psychological, social, and legal factors that influence behavior…”
Basic social science research in health promotion is critical for the development of effective prevention strategies, diagnostic tools, and treatments for mental and emotional disorders. Protective factors and other sources of human resilience—such as courage, hope, optimism, and the capacity for joy—may well serve as buffers against depression and other mental disorders.
Why Do We Need This Research?
Two of the studies currently under question are examining college-aged populations and how identity and self-expression relate to their mental state and personality. Examining the young adult population is critical for a number of reasons:
How Does NIH Decide to Fund These Grants?
The NIH uses a rigorous peer review process to determine which grant applications to fund. Thousands of scientists each year submit applications to the NIH requesting funding for their scientific proposals. Applications are evaluated initially by the NIH’s Center for Scientific Review and peer review groups composed of scientific experts from around the U.S. and the world. These groups (also called “study sections”) assess and rate the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research or training projects. Projects reviewed in a particular session are scored and ranked in relation to each other. The applications are then assigned to one of the 27 institutes and centers at NIH. A second level of peer review is conducted by the NIH National Advisory Councils of the respective funding Institutes or Centers, which are composed of both scientists from the research community and public representatives. These councils ensure that the NIH receives advice from a cross-section of the U.S. population in its deliberation and decision-making.
This system ensures that research conducted and supported with taxpayer dollars is scientifically meritorious and serves to improve the lives of all people equally. Approximately 70 percent of meritorious, scientifically valid proposals do not receive funding through this process. The grants that receive funding, however, are the best in their fields.
If you have any questions, please contact CPR’s Co-Chairs, Angela Sharpe of the Consortium of Social Science Associations at alsharpe@cossa.org or (202) 842-3525 or Karen Studwell of the American Psychological Association at kstudwell@apa.org or (202) 336-5585.
Coalition to Protect Research
Updated 09/15/2004 |
