CAM Education, CAM Politics

NIH stimulus funds

 The prevailing view (not shared by me) is that better research in CAM requires more funding.

All righty then. Here are a few opportunities to get the big bucks, thanks to the recent stimulus bill.

First, the details.

  • The National Institutes of Health has been churning out new grant announcements tied to $10.4 billion the agency received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) — aka the stimulus bill.

Here are a few grants that might apply to CAM researchers, thanks to The Scientist.com.
Autism spectrum research grants

  • Purpose
    • To fund research on — among other things — treatment and intervention, and services research.
  • Eligibility
    • Any US researcher/research institution, non-profit, state, or local government.
  • Your chances
    • 40-50 grants will be awarded.

“Grand opportunities”

  • Purpose:
    • Support “high impact ideas that… may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation.”
    • Support “applied research on cutting-edge technologies.”
    • Support “new approaches to improve the synergy and interactions among multi and interdisciplinary research teams.”
  • Eligibility
    • Any US researcher/research institution, non-profit, state, or local government.
  • Your chances
    • NIH wants to get $200 million.

Students and science educators

  • Purpose
    • “Encourage students to seriously pursue research careers in the health related sciences.”
    • “Provide elementary, middle school, and high school teachers, community college faculty, and faculty from non-research intensive institutions with short term research experiences.”
  • Eligibility
    • NIH-funded researchers.
  • Your chances
    • NIH wants to get $1 billion in ARRA funds out the door.

The bottom line?
In a past life as a member of the faculty of a pharmacy school, I viewed NIH grants as a long shot. However, good ideas plus collaboration with experienced NIH-funded researchers can increase your chances.

4/7/09 20:11 JR