The AAMC submitted an Aug 6. letter (PDF) responding to a request for information (RFI) issued by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (D-Wash.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, regarding proposed structural and policy changes for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [refer to Washington Highlights, June 21).
In responding to the framework’s proposed recommendations, the AAMC’s letter outlined several overarching principles as lawmakers consider any potential legislation to enhance NIH operations. The letter noted that any structural changes to the NIH should only occur after a deliberative process that has a strong scientific rationale and incorporates relevant expertise from within the NIH, the federal government, and the broader research community. The suggestions also recommended that Congress refrain from developing legislation that supersedes already identified policies that are in the process of being fully implemented and to ensure that any legislation should serve to optimize the medical research and innovation community by not inadvertently harming the processes that ensure academic medical centers and other research institutions are able to remain global leaders in science and research. The letter provided more specific context and suggestions for those principles as well.
In addition, the letter stressed the importance of sustained, predictable, and robust growth in medical research funding supported by the NIH, noting that to the extent Congress chooses to pursue new programs, lawmakers should ensure they are supplementing the essential work supported by the agency.