Contact: Giselle Barry (Markey) 2022242742

NIH funding supports 35K jobs in MA, Bay State ranks #1 in per capita dollars awarded

Washington (November 19, 2013) - As budget negotiators continue work on a compromise following the federal government shutdown, today Senator Edward J. Markey (DMass.) joined a bipartisan group of 33 Senators in a call for robust funding for medical research. The letter to budget negotiators cited the role that funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plays in making lifesaving medical discoveries and increasing economic activity across the country. Massachusetts ranks first among all states in per capita dollars awarded by NIH, with $369 spent per person. The Bay State receives more than $2.4 billion dollars from the federal government in NIH funding each year, which supports 35,000 jobs.

"Investments in medical research lead to cures, jobs and economic growth," said Senator Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. "Continued cuts to NIH funding mean the breakthroughs to treat diseases and create new jobs could go undiscovered. It makes no sense to cut research to cure the diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cancer that will soon overwhelm our ability to pay for treating the millions of Baby Boomers who will be afflicted by these very same diseases. I will continue to fight against cuts to the NIH budget that would reduce chances for cures and devastate the industries at the heart of the Massachusetts innovation economy, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to protect this critical funding."

The full text of letter to the budget conferees can be found HERE . 

If no budget resolution is reached, under sequestration, NIH funding is set to take another massive cut in January. During the first round of sequester cuts NIH funds were cut by $1.55 billion, resulting in approximately 640 fewer research projects being awarded.  Studies have shown that nationally, $1 invested in NIH generates $2.21 in economic growth. 

The letter led was led by Senators Bob Casey (DPa.) and Richard Burr (RN.C.) and also was signed by: Senators Begich, Blumenthal, Boxer, Brown, Burr, Cantwell, Cardin, Casey, Coburn, Collins, Donnelly, Feinstein, Franken, Gillibrand, Hagan, Heinrich, Heitkamp, Hirono, Tim Johnson, Kirk, Klobuchar, Landrieu, Levin, Manchin, Menendez, Moran, Murphy, Pryor, Reed, Rockefeller, Schatz, Schumer, Shaheen, and Warren. 

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