Reforming the NIH AIDS Research Program

7. StAmlnIn Buroyeac. The accelerate~ review oycle for AIDS awards should be renewed.
Traverolated restrictions on NIH employees should be removed. Arbitrary caps or ceilings on the
number of research-related fulWthe equivalents (FTEs) should be abolished. The OAR Director
should be able to authorize the hiring of necessary AIDS-related FTEs at the institutes, the
Division of Research Grants (DRG), and OAR itself. Restrictions imposed by the NIH Office of
Protection from Research Risks (OPRR) on basic research materials should be scaled back.
m.RESOU s
While new resources for AIDS research are desperately needed, they will be most useful if they are
secured in the context of the structural reforms listed above, enabling them to be spent most efficiently on
the hihest priodty research questions. Consolidating budgetary authority at OAR is the key to assuring
that existing and new AIDS research monies are well spent.
President Bush and Congress cut over $350 million from the NIH's original AIDS research request for FY
1993. The cuts Impacted on every program area, from basic research to drug discovery, vaccine
development and preventionoriented behavioral research. [At the same time, an artificial boost was
injected into the apparent NIH AIDS budget due to the addition of NIMH, NIDA and NIAAA, which brought
$250 million in ongoing AIDS programs to the new FY 1993 NIH total,]
8. pIRS tel h as SM t noldatin. All NIH AIDS research programs should be consolidated
into a single, separate ie Item in the federal budget, which shall be appropriated to the OAR.
This budget should be a bypass budget, Ike that of the NG. OAR should distribute the NIH AIDS
research budget in aWcordance with the strategic plan, which will be binding on institute AIDS
research progws.
9. iprlmental FYI93 udt I Rvised FY 1994 jud ge OAR should develop a new
supplemental budget for FY 1993 and a revised budget for FY 1994. New scientific opportunities
justify an kirease of 60% in support for AIDS research. This would add $600 million to the
current $1.077 billion AIDS researcht budget; $350 million cut from the original NIH request, $100
million for new behavioral research, and $150 million for the OAR discretionary fund.
10. NH-Wid oth. We support an eventual doubling of overall NIH support, with the lion's share
going to ife-threatming diseases. Many problems afflicting AIDS research affect other areas too.
Decaying research facilities, inadequate training programs, and the lack of long-range strategic
planning characterize biomedical research in generalt, tough their effects are most apparent in
acte crises such as AIDS.

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