Congress Likely to Give NIH $2 Billion Funding Increase

A federal omnibus spending bill released early today gives a $2 billion funding increase to NIH, the biggest increase in more than 12 years. Scientists, patients and familes have been urged by many of their member socieities such as FASEB to voice their support of increased funding by contacting their congress person TODAY using template driven portals like these.

It still needs to pass both houses, probably with bipartisan support, before President Obama can sign it into law. Votes are expected by the end of the week.

Included in the bill are large sums for the Obama administration’s Precision Medicine Initiative, as well as toward Alzheimer’s research, the BRAIN Initiative, research efforts to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and programs to reduce opioid abuse.

Read much more from STATNews.