Bioterrorism Projects Boost US Research Budget

For the US government's fiscal year 2003, which begins Oct. 1 this year, President George W. Bush has requested a budget of $27.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health, a 15.7% increase of $3.7 billion, the largest single-year boost in history. With a supportive Congress, this will complete the goal of doubling the NIH budget over the five-year period beginning in 1998. About $1.5 billion, or 40%, of next year's increase is focused on bioterrorism-related research and infrastructure, bri

Ted Agres

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"An effective biodefense will require a long-term strategy and significant new investment in the US health care system," Bush said in announcing the budget in February. "NIH will lead a partnership with industry, academia, and government agencies dedicated to understanding the pathogenesis of potential bioterrorism agents and to translating this knowledge into required medical products."

Most of NIH's increase is earmarked for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which will see its budget jump 57%, from $2.5 billion to nearly $4.0 billion. The next biggest increase is for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which would grow by 12%, from $4.2 billion to $4.7 billion.

Anthony S. Fauci, NIAID director, says his institute has developed the following strategic plan to allocate the $1.7 billion in bioterror funding:

NIH officials defend the emphasis on bioterrorism. "We have essentially what is almost a national emergency to get ourselves prepared against ...

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