"Plunging Grant Application Rates Test NIH’s Commitment to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)"

[Tom Kindlon]

Plunging Grant Application Rates Test NIH’s Commitment to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) by Cort Johnson

This wasn't the plan. The NIH promised to reinvigorate ME/CFS research - not watch it go down the tubes.

A recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), though, reveals that the single most important source of funding at the NIH - the individual researcher grant applications that make up 70% of its funding - have basically collapsed in ME/CFS.

The silver lining to the precipitous decline is its starkness. There's no way to pretend that the NIH's plan for ME/CFS is working. If the NIH really is, as Francis Collins, the NIH Director has repeatedly said, serious about ME/CFS it must change its ways. Find out more in

Plunging Grant Application Rates Test NIH’s Commitment to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

<https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2...ommitment-to-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs/>

 

[Tom Kindlon]

Disappointing. We need to support more pilot studies so there are more interested researchers with data who can apply for federal funding.

 

[wigglethemouse]

As Cort says in the article we need Congress to tell the NIH to sort out the funding issues and set aside $$. Those in the US can do their part to contact Senators and Congressmen/women as part of the upcoming ME Action and Solve ME/CFS coordinated campaigns.

At present NIH has a rule to only fund ~15% of applications. It is not based on just a quality score. To submit an application takes a huge amount of time and effort to collate all the required paperwork.

This will not generate the needed applications in a field with as few researchers as ME/CFS. Last year there were 8 applications and one got funded.

Congress can direct NIH to fix this issue as it has done for many diseases. But to do that takes our action!

 

[wigglethemouse]

As Cort says in the article we need Congress to tell the NIH to sort out the funding issues and set aside $$.

I promise you I didn't know this was coming

URGENT ACTION ALERT: SUPPORT A FUNDING INCREASE FOR ME/CFS!
We need YOU to contact your U.S. Representative. Your voice makes all the difference.
Our champions, Congressmembers Lofgren and Eshoo, are currently asking for support for TWO requests that can increase funding for ME/CFS research!

1. Requesting $9.9 million for ME/CFS programs at the CDC (Labor-HHS committee)
2. Adding ME/CFS to the Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (Defense committee)

Please contact your member of the House of Representatives TODAY and ask them to sign-on to these efforts.

New thread on this campaign started by @Emily Taylor
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/urgent-advocacy-action-house-fy20-funding-requests.75647/