Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

advancing

NIH/NIDCR Funding

Friends of NIDCR strives to ensure that Congress is committed to providing vital dental health services and supporting research initiatives to our nation. This is accomplished through the proper funding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). A legislative update on the appropriations of funds to NIH and NIDCR is provided below.

Budget Report

FNIDCR Submits Testimony to House Appropriators;
Benefits of NIDCR Research Spotlighted

In keeping with FNIDCR's outreach to Capitol Hill, FNIDCR President Dr. Christian Stohler submitted written testimony for the public record on March 29, 2012 to the House Appropriations Subcommittee, which is the congressional committee that oversees funding to NIDCR.

The testimony blended facts and figures with firsthand perspectives of the benefits of medical research performed at NIDCR from FNIDCR-member organizations National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias, Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Dentistry.

The testimony recommended NIDCR be funded at 1.35% of NIH's total funding for FY2013. "FNIDCR would welcome the opportunity to work with members of this Subcommittee to return NIDCR funding to a percentage of total NIH funding that is more reflective of the growth realized by NIH," wrote FNIDCR President Dr. Stohler.

Please click here to download a copy of FNIDCR's written testimony
Please click here to view a Senate Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee hearing on FY2013 NIH Funding
FNIDCR joins with more than 700 national, state, and local health, education, and workforce organizations to sign on to coalition letter in support of a strong FY 2013 allocation for Labor-HHS-Education appropriations.

President's FY13 Budget Cuts NIDCR Funding; NIH Flat-lined

In February, President Barack Obama released his FY2013 budget. In it, funding for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is provided at $408,212,000, which is $3,276,000 less than the FY2012 level of $411,488,000 enacted by Congress.

FY2013 funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as presented in the president's budget is essentially flat-lined. President Obama's FY13 budget requests $30.7 billion for NIH, which is the same as the FY2012 enacted level by Congress.

See FNIDCR's Letter to President Obama on FY13 NIH Funding

Help Us Correct a Troublesome Trend

Yes, NIDCR federal funding has increased by $100 million cumulatively since 2001. But in reality, NIDCR is not receiving its proper due. The percentage of NIH funding that NIDCR receives has steadily declined over the years—even when NIH's budget doubled.

From 1998 to 2011, NIDCR's percentage of total NIH funding decreased from 1.53% to 1.33%, its lowest percentage in a decade.

The Friends of NIDCR has been working to reverse this troublesome trend—and return NIDCR research to a % of total NIH funding that is more reflective of the growth realized by NIH. Thanks to your support, we have stabilized the disturbing annual reduction over the past with a slight increase for 2012 funding. However, anticipated automatic spending cuts to federal agencies due to begin in 2013 threaten efforts to sustain investment in NIDCR research. This is clearly evident in the president's FY2013 budget.

NIH and NIDCR Funding Fiscal Years 2001-2012
	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
NIH funding in billions	$20.3	$23	$27.1	$27.8	$28.5	$28.5	$29	$29.5	$30.3	$31	$30.7	$30.7
% change	15.2%	13%	15.3%	2.5%	2.5%	-.3%	1.8%	1.7%	2.92%	2.3%	-0.9%	0%
NIDCR funding in millions	$306.1	$342.9	$371.6	$382	$389.3	$385.6	$389.8	$390.1	$402.6	$413.2	$409.6	$411.8
% change	14%	12%	8.4%	2.8%	1.9%	-1%	1%	.003%	3.32%	2.6%	-0.87%	.54%
NIDCR as a % of NIH	1.51%	1.49%	1.37%	1.36%	1.36%	1.35%	1.34%	1.33%	1.33%	1.33%	1.33%	1.34%

Did You Know?

NIDCR is the nation's leading funding agent of oral, dental and craniofacial research;
Approximately 75% of NIDCR's budget goes to the support of grantees at universities, dental schools and medical schools across the country and around the world;
NIDCR FY11 funding supported:
- 855 grants to U.S. institutions;
- In 43 states & U.S. territories
- In 130 congressional districts

Want to Help Protect Investment in Medical Research? Add Your Voice!

Contact Your Senators and U.S. Representative today and urge them to support and advance oral health research by:

Contacting your member of Congress — advise them that you are a constituent from ______ [city/town].
Asking to speak to the Health Legislative Assistant
Advising the Health LA that:
1. Cuts to medical research at NIH, especially oral health research at NIDCR, does more harm than good.
2. Cuts to medical research will eliminate jobs, harm the economy, and stifle advances in the search for cures for diseases.
3. Research is an economic driver and a responsible investment that is peer-reviewed and evaluated.
4. Funding NIDCR at 1.35% of NIH's total funding is beneficial to all Americans.
Ask if you can provide them with the FNIDCR FY2012 Funding Fact Sheet.
Saying "Thank You" for your legislator's interest in advancing and supporting federally-funded oral health research.

The best method to contact your federal legislators is by telephone. Call the Capitol Switchboard, 202.224.3121, and ask to be connected to your member of Congress's office.

Find your members of Congress at: www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.

If you have additional questions, please contact our legislative director Andrew Kaffes at legislative@fnidcr.org.