The document, prepared by J.R. Haywood for a March 2015 COGR meeting, analyzes the challenges facing the biological and biomedical research community in the United States, particularly in the context of funding and workforce sustainability. It identifies the primary problem as the growing demand for research funding amidst diminishing and unstable federal support, compounded by increased regulatory burdens and organizational inefficiencies. The document outlines a multi-year investigative process led by FASEB, culminating in a framework intended to stimulate discussion and guide reform within the research community.
The proposed framework focuses on three main strategic areas: maximizing research funding, optimizing funding mechanisms, and improving workforce utilization and training. Recommendations include restoring the purchasing power of research budgets, streamlining regulatory requirements, promoting efficient resource use, reducing administrative burden in grant applications, encouraging new funding models, and enhancing the career pipeline for researchers through better training and alternative staffing approaches. The report emphasizes the urgency of coordinated action among stakeholders—including federal agencies, research institutions, and policymakers—to create a robust and sustainable research enterprise, highlighting that continued underfunding and regulatory complexity risk undermining the nation’s biomedical innovation and competitiveness.
