Endocrine Insider
May 13, 2009

President Obama released his fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget on Thursday, May 7.  The budget gives a line-by-line funding recommendation for each item in the budget, answering many of the questions raised by the budget overview that was released in early March.  According to the budget, the National Institutes of Health will receive $30.75 billion in FY 2010, a $442 million (1.46%) increase over the FY 2009 appropriation of $30.31 billion.  Additional information on the NIH budget can be found here. The appropriations process will now begin with the mark-up of the individual appropriations bills in the subcommittees.

The funds allocated to the NIH through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 were not included in the base for purposes of determining the increase for FY 2010, though many in the scientific community had hoped they would be.  With the minimal increase recommended by the President for FY 2010, the resulting low baseline sets the stage for potential problems in FY 2011 when the ARRA funds expire.  The Endocrine Society and the larger scientific community are working to develop a strategy that leads to long-term sustainable increases that will build on the advances made under the ARRA. The Endocrine Society supports President Obama’s campaign pledge to double the NIH budget over ten years and recommends that NIH receive an increase of at least seven percent in FY 2010 to prepare for the post-stimulus era and ensure the steady, sustainable growth necessary to complete the President’s vision of doubling the investment in basic and clinical research.

The Endocrine Society will continue to update its members regarding the FY 2010 appropriations process through future alerts and Endocrine Insider.  If you have questions about the appropriations process, please contact Stephanie Kutler, Director of Government Relations at the Society, at skutler@endo-society.org.