Breakthrough Advocacy for Research

Mary Woolley, President, Research!America Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Board of Trustees Dinner Meeting Oct. 29, 2009 Washington, DC Breakthrough Advocacy for Research

Research Takes Cents
In 2008, Americans spent an estimated $5.77 billion on Halloween candy and decorations.
That sum would fund the National Eye Institute for more than eight years !
Sources: National Retail Federation 2008; NIH FY09

U.S. Investment in Research
Less than six cents of every health dollar in the U.S. is spent on research to improve health.
Source: Research!America Issue Paper: 2008 Investment in U.S. Health Research, 2009

Americans Willing to Pay More for Research to Improve Health Would you be willing to pay $1 per week more in taxes if you were certain that all the money would be spent for additional research to improve health, or not? Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, June 2009 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Research!America: 20 Years of Putting Research on the Public Agenda
Non-profit alliance with 500 member organizations drawn from academia, business, patient organizations and scientific societies representing more than 125 million Americans
Distinguished, all-volunteer board includes former elected and appointed officials, media and public relations leaders, and leaders from alliance member organizations

Research!America’s Mission Make research to improve health a higher national priority Research!America is an innovator in public education and advocacy for research

International Affiliates

Research!America Goals:
Achieve more funding for medical and health research
Advocate a policy climate that stimulates rather than impedes research
Engage the public’s interest and support for research
Empower others to advocate for medical and health research

Advocacy for research funding in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including $10B for NIH
Campaign to double the NIH budget (1999-2003)
Targeted and topical public opinion polling on medical and health research since 1993
Recognizing economists who demonstrate value of medical research since 2002
Timely message development for research advocacy
Showing the way for researchers to become advocates
Garnering enhanced media attention to research
Examples of Research!America Leadership

NIH American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Funding
Nationwide, $5 billion has been awarded to date in ARRA NIH funding for more than 12,000 projects including awards to more than 1,800 new investigators; thousands of jobs have been created or saved
Communities across the country are already seeing the benefits. Our online map shows how the funding is distributed in each state and provides examples, such as:
www.researchamerica.org/arra_NIHfunding Researchers at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine have received an ARRA grant to study therapeutic treatments for corneal eye injuries in an effort to preserve vision.

“ The stimulus package did great things for life and physical science research, but none of the stimulus money increases the agency base lines. My bottom line is don’t let up ! Let’s all work together to make science and technology a high priority.” The Honorable John Edward Porter, Research!America chair

Snapshot of Current Environment
Economic downturn; questioning of all public expenditures
Health care reform is the hot topic
Obama Administration is talking about science in terms of impact on economic growth and competitiveness
The nation is looking for solutions
Scientists are invisible in political/ public arena

“ Scientists like to tell ourselves that we are too busy to worry about image. But the reality is that our work only has a chance of making a difference if we build a much broader base of popular support for medical research than currently exists in this country . That has to include more public pressure for congressional funding of research and more commitment to developing scientific leadership for the next century.” Rock Star of Science Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD

Francis Collins’ Five Themes for NIH Reflect Sensitivity to Today’s Science and to Public Expectations
Applying high-throughput technologies to understand fundamental biology and to uncover causes of specific diseases
Translation of NIH science into practice
Putting science to work for the benefit of health care reform
Greater focus on global health
Reinvigorate and empower the research community through stable, predictable funding increases
“ Collins Sworn in as NIH Director,” NIH Record Sept. 4, 2009

“… public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.” President Abraham Lincoln

Research!America Poll Data
Commissioning public opinion polls on research issues for more than 17 years:
National Polls
State-Based Polls
Issue-Specific Polls
Telephone (random-digit dialing) polls are conducted with a sample size of 800-1000 adults (age 18+) and a maximum theoretical sampling error of +/- 3.5%. Data are demographically representative of adult U.S. residents (state or national).
Online polls are conducted with a sample size of 1000-2000 adults and sampling error of +/-3.1%. The data are weighted in two stages to ensure accurate representation of the U.S. adult population.

Majority Say U.S. Global Health Research is Important How important would you say it is that the U.S. work to improve health globally through research? Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, June 2009 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

National Commitment to Health Research Should be Higher As we look for ways to deal with health care costs in our country, do you think that the national commitment to health-related research should be higher, lower, or about the same as it is now? Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, June 2009 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Research is a Solution to Rising Health Care Costs When it comes to rising health care costs, would you say research to improve health is part of the problem or part of the solution? Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, June 2009 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

“ We spend … a very tiny share, 0.1 percent or less of total health care spending in the United States, trying to examine whether what we’re doing works, and that needs to change. We have $1.1 billion in the Recovery Act to expand this kind of research.” Peter R. Orszag, PhD, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, June 2009

Economic Impact Messages
Research drives innovation and productivity
Research creates jobs
Research fuels local & regional economies
Research helps control health care costs
Research can contribute to growth and savings in all types of businesses

Research Creates Good Jobs
In 2008, $31 billion in government health research funding created and sustained 490,000 jobs.
The average wage in the U.S. is $40,000.
The average wage for a life science worker in the U.S. is $58,000.
Source: Wage information from The Bureau of Labor Statistics; Job creation info extrapolated from Families USA report: In Your Own Backyard

Research Funding by State www.researchamerica.org/state_funding

Resist measuring the value of research in terms of cost. Instead measure in terms of how people benefit by the outcomes of research. “Research costs don’t scale; the benefits do!” Kevin Murphy, PhD, University of Chicago 2005 Garfield Economic Impact Award Winner

Then, Now, Imagine THEN… 20 years ago people who were diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration had no treatment options NOW… research has resulted in treatments to delay the disease’s progression IMAGINE… further treatments such as a bionic eye to restore vision, conquering the pall of blindness and completely curing this devastating disease!

Succinct Communications: Research Powers Health, Wealth and Competitiveness

Research in the National Media Francis Collins: “Dramatic Breakthroughs in Cancer Treatment” September 20, 2009 PARADE/Research!America Poll “Stem Cell Research” July 10, 2005

Most Americans Can’t Name A Living Scientist Can you name a living scientist? ( total mentions n=278 ) Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, June 2009 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Most Do Not Recognize NIH What is the name of the government agency that funds most of the medical research paid for by taxpayers in this country? Source: Your Congress – Your Health Survey, May 2007 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Americans Don’t Know Where Research is Conducted Do you know of any institutions, companies or organizations where medical or health research is conducted? Source: Your Congress – Your Health Survey, May 2007 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Most Not Well Informed on Elected Officials’ Positions on Research How well informed would you say you are about the positions of your Senators and Representative when it comes to their support of medical, health and scientific research? Source: Your Congress–Your Health Survey, June 2009 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

Your Congress–Your Health for the 111th Congress
Outreach to Members of Congress All members of Congress have been invited to participate by providing responses to a questionnaire about health, research and related issues
Extensive public outreach through the Research!America advocacy network and sponsoring partners to encourage members of Congress to share their views
www.yourcongressyourhealth.org

Priorities for FY 2010 and FY 2011
Raise the NIH appropriated budget to $40 billion ASAP

Where Do We Go From Here?
Stay focused on promise of research
Emphasize how research drives economic activity in every state and creates good jobs
Know where your elected representatives stand
Work to increase overall research investment
Engage all of your research colleagues in advocacy

“ Everybody in the science and technology community who cares about the future of the world should be tithing 10 percent of his or her time to interacting with the public in the policy process.” John P. Holdren, PhD President Obama’s Science Adviser

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Breakthrough Advocacy for Research

by Research!America on Nov 02, 2009

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