NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Moving the Economy—and Biomedical Discovery—Ahead
Biologist Yunhua Li, M.S., of NCCAM's Division of Intramural Research
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (also known as the Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. The Act's goals include preserving and creating jobs, promoting economic recovery, and increasing economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health. Groundbreaking scientific research to improve health, and construction and renovation of research and educational facilities, are among the targeted investment areas.
NIH will receive approximately $10.4 billion for use in fiscal years 2009 and 2010, of which NCCAM's share is approximately $31 million. The Center will use these additional funds to further advance the field of CAM research.
"We at NCCAM appreciate that the President and Congress have recognized, in this way, both the economic and health impacts of biomedical and behavioral research," said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., NCCAM Director. "I anticipate that the Recovery Act will have an impact not only on the scientists who will receive funds and the allied health workers, technicians, students, and others who work with them, but, more broadly, upon our Nation's health."
At press time, NCCAM initiatives under the Recovery Act include:
- NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research, for projects in specific topic areas (see box below) that would benefit from a 2-year jumpstart in funding
- NCCAM Grand Opportunities ("GO") Grants, for high-impact ideas that lend themselves to short-term, nonrenewable funding and may lay a foundation for new fields of investigation
- Summer Research Opportunities for Students and Science Educators, to help accelerate efforts in either clinical trial recruitment or basic and translational research
- Administrative Supplements, to accelerate progress in ongoing project grants
- Competitive Revision Applications, to expand the scope of ongoing project grants that are preliminary, developmental, or pilot studies and address certain high-priority topics.
"I anticipate that the Recovery Act will have an impact not only on the scientists who will receive funds and the allied health workers, technicians, students, and others who work with them, but, more broadly, upon our Nation's health." — Josephine P. Briggs, M.D.
For the latest information on NCCAM and the Recovery Act, go to nccam.nih.gov/recovery. The official site for all activities under the Recovery Act is www.recovery.gov.
NCCAM Topics for NIH Challenge Grants
Antioxidant-rich berries
© iStockphoto.com/ Elenathewise
- Ethical issues associated with the electronic sharing of health information
- Psychoneuroimmunology biomarkers of stress
- Antioxidant biomarkers
- Omega-3 fatty acid biomarkers
- Comparative effectiveness studies of nonpharmacological treatments for chronic low-back pain
- Comparative effectiveness studies of CAM
- Imaging correlates of brain states
- Development and validation of other translational tools to improve comparability and generalizability of studies and facilitate rigorous research on CAM
