Funding opportunities in integrative and systems (I

1
Funding opportunities in integrative and systems
(IS) biology

• Gregory D. Fink, Ph.D.
• Michigan State University

2
Where do federal research and development dollars
to universities go?
3
Summary of trends in government funding for
research (FY 1990-2001)
4
Summary of trends in government funding for
research (FY 2000-2002)
5
Summary of trends in NIH funding for biomedical
research (FY 1995-2001)

• NIH budget 11.3 to 20.3 billion (79.6)
• Funding for RO1s 4.3 to 8.2 billion (90.7)
• RO1s funded 20,415 to 27,127 (32.9)
• Number of RO1 apps 22,296 to 21,805 (-2.2)
• Number of new RO1s 5,618 to 6, 817 (21.3)
• RO1 success rate 25.2 to 31.3 (19.8)
• Ave size of RO1 212.2K to 302.1K (42.4)

6
Total NIH support for biomedical research--trends
(1968-2001)
?
7
What is the evidence that funding for IS biology
is decreased?

• On April 19, 1996 the NHLBI hosts a Special
  Emphasis Panel on Integrative Research.
  Recommendations included
• Scientific review groups need greater awareness
  and sensitivity to IS research
• IS research can be promoted by coupled NIH
  grants involving PIs with molecular and IS
  expertise
• Need training grants that focus on IS research
  training
• A training course in IS research should be
  developed cooperatively by NIH, industry and
  professional societies.

8
What is the evidence that funding for IS biology
is decreased?

• American Physiological Society
• American Society for Pharmacology and
  Experimental Therapeutics
• American Association of Anatomists
• American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and
  Therapeutics
• Society of Toxicology
• Others

9
What is the evidence that training for IS
biology research is decreased?
Many can genotype, but few can phenotype --
Dr. Sam Enna
10
How can NIH support for IS research be
identified and quantified?

• Major differences in opinion about what
  constitutes IS research
• Investigators doing IS research dont usually
  say so explicitly
• Much IS research is done as part of larger
  projects with molecular / cellular emphasis
• NIH has no mechanism to identify IS research
  projects

11
Percentage of funded grants identified in CRISP
using the phrase whole animal
12
Do MDs do more IS research?Funding success rate
versus PhDs
13
Is clinical research more IS than basic research?
14
More PhDs do clinical research than do MDs
Data from the year 2001
15
What factors might contribute to decreased
funding for IS biology?

• Retirement of IS researchers
• Hiring practices
• Study sections
• Journal impact factors
• Media
• Paradigm fatigue?

16
Do NIH study sections really devalue IS research?

• Innovation as a specfic critique item
• Quest for the modern
• New technologies
• Rapid publication
• Animal use issues
• New convert zeal

17
What factors might contribute to decreased
funding for IS biology?

• Retirement of IS researchers
• Hiring practices
• Study sections
• Journal impact factors
• Media
• Paradigm fatigue?

18
(No Transcript)
19
What factors might contribute to decreased
funding for IS biology?

• Retirement of IS researchers
• Hiring practices
• Study sections
• Journal impact factors
• Media
• Paradigm fatigue?

20
Conclusions

• Widespread belief that IS research funding has
  decreased over the last decade
• Hard evidence is difficult to extract from
  existing databases
• Perception affects research and training
  activities anyway
• New emphasis on translational research