Families USA has crunched the numbers on NIH research grants, and says that several years of flat funding have crippled research efforts, damaged U.S. economic activity and threatens to pull the U.S. down from its leading role in global biomedical research efforts. Altogether, NIH provided $23 billion in research funds, creating 350,000 jobs and $18 billion in wages.
"The importance of NIH funding in communities across the nation can't be overstated," says Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "NIH awards to states spur vital medical research, while at the same time injecting millions of dollars into local economies, creating jobs and new wages. This should be called a win-win-win, because it helps our state economies, our nation's health, and the health of people around the globe."
Every $1 million invested by NIH creates $2.2 million in economic activity, reports the group. The five states that generated the most economic activity per dollar were Texas ($2.49), Illinois ($2.43), California ($2.40), Georgia ($2.36), and Colorado ($2.34).
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