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Japan's operating budget for its national universities has been reduced since 2004 year by year, leaving a tight competition among universities in securing research funding. Urban universities with several prominent researchers can operate by securing competitive funding, joint research with companies, and donations, whereas small rural universities struggle with finances. How should small rural universities survive in the future'? The vision andmission ofHamamatsu University School of Medicine (HUSM), a rural medical college, is to play a central role in the local community medicine through medical photonics research and academia-industry-government collaboration. HUSM is a member of the regional industrial cluster, and research administrators (RAs) have promoted the medical photonics filed through activities such as education, matching, funding, research and development support, technology transfer, and sales promotion support to make the university distinctive. RAs collaborate with universities, companies, and local governments in the same region to conduct joint research and commercialize products as though these units were a single organization. As a result, the number of joint research projects and the amount of revenue from joint research have increased every year. The government has recognized this unique approach. Furthermore, university consolidation is beingpursued as a cost-saving measure to increase the money spent on research. Consolidation can strengthen the ability of university research, and can result in more joint research with companies and more research funding., Introduction As of 2020, Japan has 86 national, 93 public, and 607 private universities. Until 2004, national universities were internal organizations of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and [...]

Funders' goals for diversity, equity and inclusion are laudable, but they will only be successful if the funders prioritize health disparities research and address biases in the funding application process., Author(s): Folakemi T. Odedina [sup.1] , Mariana C. Stern [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) Division of Hematology/Oncology and Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research (CHCR), Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, [...]

Racial equity and global inclusion are essential if biomedical science is to fulfil its mission to improve human health., Author(s): Cori Bargmann [sup.1] [sup.2] , Anne Claiborne [sup.2] , Hannah Valantine [sup.2] [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) The Rockefeller University, New York, USA (2) Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, USA [...]

Last month, Joseph Ng, a biologist at the University of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH), sat down with very mixed feelings to write a job advertisement for a new chair of the [...]

Private industry funds more than half of all medical research in the United States. While industry involvement in research has benefits, it can also create conflicts of interest. The most common policies adopted to address conflict of interest in medical research are focused primarily on the ways in which industry sponsorship may undermine a clinician's judgment regarding patient care. Insufficient attention has been given to the ways in which industry sponsorship may undermine judgment relative to the goal of scientific integrity in research. The most common conflict of interest policies do not adequately address this problem. Disclosure policies alone will not remove or ameliorate all conflicts. Further, severing or monitoring ties between clinicians and industries will not adequately address the problem, since in many cases it is not the clinicians who are making the relevant research .judgments. In order to address the problem of conflict of interest in industry-sponsored research, fundamental changes in strategy and practice must be adopted which either remove the power to make research decisions from industry employees, or increase the review of those decisions by independent investigators.

The article discusses the six suggested goals of disclosure pertaining to the financial relationship of participants in clinical research. The challenges that such a disclosure offers are also highlighted.

The need for new pharmaceutical tools to prevent and treat neglected diseases is widely accepted [1]. The creation of a vaccine for HIV/AIDS, more effective diagnostics for tuberculosis (TB), and [...]

Research on domestic animals (cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, horses, and aquatic species) at land grant institutions is integral to improving the global competitiveness of US animal agriculture and to resolving complex animal and human diseases. However, dwindling federal and state budgets, years of stagnant funding from USDA for the Competitive State Research, Education, and Extension Service National Research Initiative (CSREES-NRI) Competitive Grants Program, significant reductions in farm animal species and in numbers at land grant institutions, and declining enrollment for graduate studies in animal science are diminishing the resources necessary to conduct research on domestic species. Consequently, recruitment of scientists who use such models to conduct research relevant to animal agriculture and biomedicine at land grant institutions is in jeopardy. Concerned stakeholders have addressed this critical problem by conducting workshops, holding a series of meetings with USDA and National Institutes of Health (NIH) officials, and developing a white paper to propose solutions to obstacles impeding the use of domestic species as dual-purpose animal models for high-priority problems common to agriculture and biomedicine. In addition to shortfalls in research support and human resources, overwhelming use of mouse models in biomedicine, lack of advocacy from university administrators, long-standing cultural barriers between agriculture and human medicine, inadequate grantsmanship by animal scientists, and a scarcity of key reagents and resources are major roadblocks to progress. Solutions will require a large financial enhancement of USDA's Competitive Grants Program, educational programs geared toward explaining how research using agricultural animals benefits both animal agriculture and human health, and the development of a new mind-set in land grant institutions that fosters greater cooperation among basic and applied researchers. Recruitment of outstanding scientists dedicated to using domestic animal models for agricultural and biomedical research, strong incentives for scientists to take advantage of training opportunities to write NIH grants, and greater NIH and USDA cooperation to sponsor the use of agricultural animals as dual-purpose animal models that benefit agriculture and biomedicine will also be necessary. In conclusion, the broad diversity of animal models needed for agricultural and biomedical research is at risk unless research priorities at the land grant universities are critically evaluated and financial support for such research is dramatically increased. Key words: domestic species, biomedical model, comparative animal model, dual-purpose animal model, farm animal research

University of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh ranked among the top ten for funding in biomedical research.

The Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015 is a road map for policy-makers and managers of national programmes. It sets out the key actions needed to achieve the targets of the Millennium Development Goals relating to tuberculosis (TB): to halve the prevalence and deaths by 2015 relative to 1990 levels and to save 14 million lives. Developed by a broad coalition of partners, the plan presents a model approach combining interventions that can feasibly be supplied on the ground. The main areas of activity set out in the plan are: scaling up interventions to control tuberculosis; promoting the research and development of improved diagnostics, drugs and vaccines; and engaging in related activities for advocacy, communications and social mobilization. Scenarios for the planning process were developed; these looked at issues both globally and in seven epidemiological regions. The scenarios made ambitious but realistic assumptions about the pace of scale-up and implementation coverage of the activities. A mathematical model was used to estimate the impact of scaling up current interventions based on data from studies of tuberculosis biology and from experience with tuberculosis control in diverse settings. The estimated costs of the activities set out in the Global Plan were based on implementing interventions and researching and developing drugs, diagnostics and vaccines; these costs were US$ 56 billion over 10 years. When translated into cost per disability adjusted life year averted, these costs compare favourably with those of other public health interventions. This approach to planning for global tuberculosis control is a valuable example of developing plans to improve global health that has relevance for other health issues. Resume Le plan mondial Halte a la tuberculose 2006-2015 fournit des lignes directrices aux decideurs politiques et aux directeurs de programmes nationaux. Il presente les interventions cles necessaires a la realisation des objectifs du Millenaire pour le developpement concernant la tuberculose (TB), a savoir faire baisser de moitie, entre 1990 et 2015, la prevalence de cette maladie et la mortalite lui etant imputable et epargner 14 millions de vies. Mis au point par un vaste groupement de partenaires, le plan propose un modele de strategie associant des interventions faciles a mettre en oeuvre sur le terrain. Les principaux domaines d'activite prevus sont : Le passage a l'echelle superieure des interventions de lutte antituberculeuse, la promotion des travaux de recherche et developpement concernant des outils diagnostiques, des medicaments et des vaccins plus performants et l'engagement dans des activites connexes de plaidoyer, de communication et de mobilisation sociale. Des scenarios ont ete developpes pour aider au processus de planification : ils considerent les problemes a l'echelle mondiale et dans sept regions epidemiologiques. Ces scenarios reposent sur des hypotheses ambitieuses, mais realistes, quant au rythme de passage a l'echelle superieure et de developpement de la couverture des activites. Un modele mathematique a ete utilise pour evaluer l'impact du passage a l'echelle superieure des interventions en cours a partir de donnees d'etudes biologiques sur la tuberculose et de l'experience acquise dans divers contextes en matiere de lutte antituberculeuse. Les estimations de couts pour les activites prevues par le Plan mondial correspondent a la mise en oeuvre des interventions et aux travaux de recherche et developpement de medicaments, d'outils diagnostiques et de vaccins ameliores ; elles se montent a US$ 56 milliard sur 10 ans. Une fois convertis en couts par annee de vie corrigee de l'incapacite (DALY), ces chiffres supportent favorablement la comparaison avec ceux d'autres interventions de sante publique. Cette strategie de planification de la lutte contre la tuberculose au niveau mondial est un exemple utile de programme de developpement pour l'amelioration de la sante dans le monde, qui interesse d'autres problemes sanitaires. Resumen El Plan Mundial para Detener la Tuberculosis 2006-2015 es una hoja de ruta para instancias normativas y gestores de programas nacionales. En el se establecen las principales intervenciones necesarias para alcanzar las metas de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio relacionadas con la tuberculosis: reducir a la mitad la prevalencia de esta enfermedad y la mortalidad por esa causa para 2015 en comparacion con los niveles de 1990 y salvar asi 14 millones de vidas. Elaborado por una amplia coalicion de asociados, el plan presenta un modelo que combina diversas intervenciones que pueden aplicarse de forma viable sobre el terreno. Las areas principales de actividad contempladas en el plan son las siguientes: expansion de las intervenciones de lucha antituberculosa; promocion de la investigacion y el desarrollo de mejores medios diagnosticos, medicamentos y vacunas; y participacion en las actividades relacionadas con la promocion, las comunicaciones y la movilizacion social. Se desarrollaron distintos escenarios para el proceso de planificacion, considerando los problemas a nivel mundial y en siete regiones epidemiologicas. Los escenarios partian de hipotesis ambiciosas pero realistas sobre el ritmo de expansion y la cobertura de aplicacion de las actividades. Se utilizo un modelo matematico para estimar la repercusion de la expansion de las intervenciones actuales sobre la base de datos procedentes de estudios de la biologia de la tuberculosis y de la experiencia de la lucha antituberculosa en diversos entornos. Los costos estimados de las actividades establecidas en el Plan Mundial -correspondientes a la ejecucion de las intervenciones y la investigacion y el desarrollo de medicamentos, medios de diagnostico y vacunas- ascendian a US$ 56 000 millones a lo largo de 10 anos. Traducidos al costo por AVAD (anos de vida ajustados en funcion de la discapacidad) evitado, la cifra es mas baja que la de otras intervenciones de salud publica. Este metodo de planificacion del control mundial de la tuberculosis brinda un valioso ejemplo para elaborar planes de mejora de la salud mundial que revistan interes para otros problemas sanitarios. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCI.], Introduction "When the elephants fight, the grass gets trampled"--this aphorism exemplifies the vigorous debate over the best approach to planning for development. The debate positions Jeffrey Sachs, (1) a proponent [...]

The research funding, activities, and creativity in the European Union and the U.S. are compared. Data for research and development as a percentage of the gross domestic product demonstrate that the European Union is lagging behind the United States in research and development support.

The public attitudes and perceptions about health-related research and health care in the U.S. are described. The national and state opinion survey report data shows that Americans rate research as a high national priority and they strongly support greater investment by private and public funders.

The financing of biomedical research and the interplay of public and private sources based in the U.S. are explored. Enhancing research productivity and evaluation of benefit are some of the pressing challenges, which requires more effective translation of basic scientific knowledge to clinical application and more specific information about sources and uses of research funds.

Do the benefits from health research justify the resources devoted to it? Addressing this should not only meet increasing accountability demands, but could also enhance understanding of research utilisation and how best to organise health research systems to increase the benefits. The process from basic research to eventual application and patient benefit is usually complex. The use of antenatal corticosteroids when preterm delivery is expected has featured large in the debates about research utilisation and provides an insight into these complexities. Based on all analysis of previous modelling of research utilisation and payback assessment, a framework is developed in which the existing literature on the use of corticosteroids, combined with new material developed by the authors, can be reviewed and synthesised. The move from animal studies to human trials was undertaken by the same individual. Some early clinical application of the findings occurred concurrently with a series of further trials. Nevertheless, the implementation of these findings stalled rather than accelerated as is predicted by some models. The eventual systematic review of the trials played a part in the development of the Cochrane Collaboration and increased the impact on practice. Further implementation approaches were used in various countries, including clinical guidelines, a National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference, and various implementation projects within the UK. This paper shows how an assessment of the benefits from this stream of research and utilisation projects can be constructed. It concludes that the application of a model for assessing payback can help to demonstrate the benefits from the research in this field and enhance our understanding of research utilisation. Keywords: Assessing research benefits; Research payback; Research utilisation; Respiratory distress syndrome; Corticostcroids

Research findings provide the basis for estimates of risk. However, research findings or "facts" are subject to interpretation and to the social construction of the evidence. (1) Research evidence has […]

Novice investigators may be intimidated by the task of proposal budget preparation. Often a basic understanding of the mechanics of budgeting, paired with a good working relationship with the institution's sponsored programs office, can alleviate much of the stress investigators encounter in developing budgets. Careful attention to the detailed inclusive costs of conducting the proposed study combined with awareness of university and agency budget requirements is essential. This article describes strategies for developing a budget for a research proposal. Keywords: research proposals; budget development; proposal development

Objective: This study aimed to analyse the association of the National Health and Medical Research Council fund allocations and several measures of burden of disease in Australia, and compare it to similar studies in the United States and Canada. Methods: A cross-sectional study comparing disease-specific funding in two time periods (1998-2001 and 2002-03) with data from the Australian Burden of Disease study on four measures of burden of disease (incidence, mortality, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life years in 1996). This association was measured by correlation coefficients. With the use of these measures as predictor variables in a regression analysis, predicted funding was calculated and compared with actual funding. Results: The highest correlation coefficients (r=0.68-0.75) were exhibited by the DALYs and years of life lost to disability and the relation was significant at p Conclusions: This study revealed a significant relation between NHMRC research funding and burden of disease measures and highlighted that comparison of actual and predicted funding based on different measures of disease can alter conclusions as to whether a disease is over- or under-funded.