By Jessica M. Scully
With the passage of the stimulus act, 2009 was a particularly good year for research funding. While President Obama has proposed a second stimulus package, for now it appears federal funding for 2010 will increase just slightly over 2009 budgets, excluding stimulus funds. Private funding sources took a hit in 2009, which is expected to continue in 2010.
The tight funding climate means researchers will have to study different sources of funding, broaden their search for funds, and make sure their proposals are as competitive as possible, according to several experts.
For the National Institutes of Health, President Obama requested $31 billion for 2010. The omnibus appropriations bill, which passed the House and Senate in mid-December, would provide about 2% above the president’s request, and awaits his signature [as of December, 2009]. The amount represents a modest increase from the agency's budget in 2009, excluding stimulus funds. The bill would also increase the budget of the National Science Foundation to $6.9 billion, or about 7 % over 2009.
How much money the NIH has affects how many grants it will accept, according to Ann Bonham, Chief Scientific Officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges. Bonham noted that the success rate for NIH grants in 2008 and 2009 was between 20 and 22%. In 2003, when the doubling of the NIH budget was just completed, the overall success rate was about 30%. "So what you can take from that is, the bigger the [growth in the] NIH budget, obviously the greater the success rate of grant applications," she said.
At least some private sources of funding have declined. According to a November 2009 report from the Foundation Center, foundation giving would likely drop by more than 10 percent in 2009, and was expected to drop further in 2010.
Although funding may not be ample, researchers can take steps to make sure they get and keep grants. For minority researchers, the NIH has a number of programs that promote scientific workforce diversity, including programs offered by the National Cancer Institute and the Division of Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE) at the National Institute for General Medical Sciences.
In addition, some funding from the stimulus act remains. Information can be found at the NIH's Office of Extramural Research.
For the best luck in getting NIH grants, Don Ralbovsky, a spokesperson for the NIH, recommends that researchers learn as much as possible about how the NIH receives and reviews grant applications, and that they review the About Grants Section on the homepage of the Office of Extramural Research. Researchers should find and contact the appropriate NIH program official for their research area to discuss their research idea, he said. The official can also discuss resubmitting for an existing project or submitting a new application for a new project, he added.
Researchers should consider speaking to senior colleagues at their institution who have received NIH funding, Ralbovsky said. “These colleagues may have valuable advice and may be able to provide feedback on the investigator’s proposed aims and research plan,” he noted. Clear writing is extremely important in grant applications, Ralbovsky added.
At the NSF, grants to support minority researchers and minority-serving institutions are offered through the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Human Resource Development. Funding is given to institutions, rather than individuals, to bring underrepresented groups into science.
In addition to these programs, specific areas of research may have more funding than in the past. Dana Cruikshank, a public affairs spokesperson for the NSF, noted that areas where funding is expected to significantly increase include research related to climate change, such as glaciology and atmospheric research, as well as social, behavioral, and economic effects of climate change.
Cruikshank suggested that researchers interested in NSF grants make sure they keep up on opportunities available through the NSF’s website, and that they clearly understand deadlines. Deadlines "can be a big significant barrier" he said. Cruickshank also noted that several NSF directorates have developed Twitter feeds offering information on grants. Checking these feeds may be useful, he said.
Bonham, who previously was executive associate dean for academic affairs at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, has been very successful in fundraising. During her tenure, the school of medicine's federal research funding increased by almost 60 percent, according to a press release prepared by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The AAMC also produces The Diversity and Faculty Development Digest, which includes a list of available funding opportunities.
Bonham recommends that researchers first recognize their passion for research to improve health and prevent disease is fundamental.
“Then, I think it's important to be aware of the competitive environment for funding from NIH, and understand that successful research requires passion, creativity, persistence and resources,” she said.
Bonham recommends that researchers recognize the breadth of health needs of society, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, mental health, diabetes, and disparities in health care. All of these research areas lend themselves to new research partnerships and interdisciplinary approaches, which Bonham and Ralbovsky noted the NIH is particularly interested in funding.
Finally, researchers should look for additional sources of funding outside the NIH, including other state or federal agencies and foundations, she said.
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