American scientific research has been hit hard in the last eight years. Under the Bush administration, the National Institutes of Health now has a smaller budget in real dollars and can fund only one-tenth of the grant proposals submitted.
All of Philadelphia's outstanding biomedical research institutions, including Drexel University, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University, and the University of Pennsylvania, are feeling the pinch and that is bound to extend to the community beyond, which depends on these institutions for jobs and new ideas.
Federal funding of basic scientific research and technology development is essential to innovation, which feeds the creative entrepreneurship that galvanizes our economy. We must invest in our scientific resources to ensure all citizens have a safe and secure environment, opportunities for productivity, and affordable, high-quality health care. Sen. Barack Obama recognizes this in his "Plan for Science and Innovation" and promises to restore funding for research.
R. Nick Bryan, M.D., Ph.D.
Philadelphia
» READ MORE: R.Nick.Bryan@uphs.upenn.edu