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Presentation at ARVO 2009 Annual Meeting

Update on National Eye Institute/National Institutes of Health Activities & Budget Overview

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Presented to ARVO Chairs and Research Directors

Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD
National Eye Institute

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
May 2009

Slide 2: NEI 40th Anniversary

Events and symposia to highlight NEI vision research portfolio, achievements, and future.

Symposia Series
2009

Vision Rehabilitation: BLINDSIGHT documentary, Erik Weihenmayer / April 3
Genetics and Genomics in Vision / April 16 - April 17
Optical Imaging and Biomedical Science / June 1 - 2
The 4th Jane Sayer Vision Research Lecture / October 22
Neuroscience and Vision / November 20

2010
Focus on Glaucoma / February 19
Novel Therapeutic Paradigms and Blindness / May 21

Slide 3: NEI Appropriations History

FY 2005: $664.8M, a 2.1% change from the previous year
FY 2006: $660.3M, a -0.7% change from the previous year
FY 2007: $667.1M, 1.0% change from the previous year
FY 2008: $669.5M, 0.4% change from the previous year
FY 2009 estimate: $688.5M, a 2.8% change from the previous year

Slide 4: FY 2009 Extramural Budget Distribution

NEI Extramural Grants - $550.4M
Research Project Grants (RPGs): $430.0M (78.1%)
Core Centers: $27.6M (5.0%)
Cooperative Clinical: $51.3m (9.3%)
Training and Career Development: $30.0M (5.5%)
Other Research: $11.5M (2.1%)

Slide 5: FY 2008 Extramural Budget by Program

FY 2008 Actual Budget - $669.5M
Extramural Grants - $537.3M

Retinal Disease Program - $244.8M (45%)
Corneal Disease Program - $63.5M (12%)
Lens and Cataract Program $33.9M (6%)
Glaucoma and Optic Neuropathies Program - $59.3M (11%)
Strabismus, Amblyopia, and Visual Processing Program (SAVP) - $116.3M (22%)
Low Vision and Blindness Rehabilitation - $19.5M (4%)

Slide 6: 2009 Budget Guidance

Noncompeting awards funded at full committed levels
4 new K99 awards + 4 converting to R00 ("kangaroo")
PI salary cap increased from $191,300 to $196,700
Program Evaluation Tap increased 4.7%
NIH Rare and Neglected Disease Initiative

$682K from NEI (NIH Total $24M)

41 new R01 grants for first-time PIs

Slide 7: Decline of Buying Power

1998: NEI Budget in current dollars - $355.7M; inflation adjusted dollars $355.7M
1999: NEI Budget in current dollars - $396.6M; inflation adjusted dollars $383.3M
2000: NEI Budget in current dollars - $450.3M; inflation adjusted dollars $420.8M
2001: NEI Budget in current dollars - $510.4M; inflation adjusted dollars $461.4M
2002: NEI Budget in current dollars - $580.7M; inflation adjusted dollars $508.5M
2003: NEI Budget in current dollars - $633.2M; inflation adjusted dollars $535.7M
2004: NEI Budget in current dollars - $625.7M; inflation adjusted dollars $532.0M
2005: NEI Budget in current dollars - $669.1M; inflation adjusted dollars $525.2M
2006: NEI Budget in current dollars - $666.8M; inflation adjusted dollars $500.2M
2007: NEI Budget in current dollars - $667.1M; inflation adjusted dollars $482.0M
2008: NEI Budget in current dollars - $669.5M; inflation adjusted dollars $463.3M
2009: NEI Budget in current dollars - $688.5M; inflation adjusted dollars $459.3M

Note: NIH Budget "Doubling" occurred between 1998 and 2004

Slide 8: RPG Average Total Costs

2005: Competing - $345K; Total - $342K
2006: Competing - $360K; Total - $350K
2007: Competing - $363K; Total - $369K
2008: Competing - $368K; Total - $381K
2009 (Estimate): Competing - $378K; Total - $398K

Note: Figures exclude SBIR/STTR

Slide 9: Research Project Grants (RPGs) Number of Awards

2005: Competing - 289; Noncompeting - 899; Total - 1,188
2006: Competing - 258; Noncompeting - 890; Total - 1,148
2007: Competing - 262; Noncompeting - 835; Total - 1,097
2008: Competing - 279; Noncompeting - 780; Total - 1,059
2009(Estimate): Competing - 258; Noncompeting - 780; Total - 1,038

Slide 10: Research Project Grants (RPGs) Success Rate History

2004 (Actual): Competing RPGs - 323; Applications - 1,083; Success Rate - 29.8%
2005 (Actual): Competing RPGs - 289; Applications - 1,102; Success Rate - 26.2%
2006 (Actual): Competing RPGs - 258; Applications - 1,104; Success Rate - $23.4%
2007 (Actual): Competing RPGs - 262; Applications - 984; Success Rate - 26.6%
2008 (Actual): Competing RPGs - 279; Applications - 965; Success Rate - 28.9%
2009 (Estimate): Competing RPGs - 258; Applications - 868; Success Rate - 29.7%

Note: "Success Rate" (grants paid / applications) is not equal to "Pay Line"
FY 2008 competing RPGs - average cost $368K per award
FY 2009 competing RPGs - average cost increased 3%

Slide 11: Core Center Grants

2004: Number of Grants - 40; Average Cost - $587K
2005: Number of Grants - 42; Average Cost - $608K
2006: Number of Grants - 40; Average Cost - $677K
2007: Number of Grants - 39; Average Cost - $663K
2008: Number of Grants - 40; Average Cost - $677K
2009 (Estimate): Number of Grants - 40; Average Cost - $687K

Can new Cores be awarded? Yes - but "zero sum budget." Awarded competitively.

Slide 12: FY 08 Trans-NIH Initiatives

Road Map

New Pathways of Discovery (Continuing and New Programs)

Building Blocks, Biological Pathways, and Networks
Molecular Libraries and Imaging
Structural Biology
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Nanomedicine
Human Microbiome Project
Epigenomics
Science of Behavior Change NEW
New Protein Capture Technologies NEW
Connectivity Map NEW

Research Teams of the Future
Re-engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise

Funded through NIH Common Fund
FY 2007: $483.0M
FY 2008: $498.2M
FY 2009: $541.1M

Slide 13: Current Funding Opportunities

NIH $38.6M

NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research

Neuroscience Grand Challenges

Specific Challenge Topic: Development of non-invasive imaging approaches of technologies that directly assess neural activity

Other Current Blueprint Funding Opportunities

dissemination, creation of monoclonal antibodies for neurodevelopment research
improved neuroimaging tools and resources
biological assays for automated high throughput screening

Slide 14: Examples-NEI Neuroscience

NEI Clinical Interventions

Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group

Focus on strabismus and amblyopia - Treatment network, simple protocols, both university- and community-based investigators
Plasticity of brain long after traditional wisdom

Ambylopia in Astigmatic Children

Partnership with the Tohono O'odham Nation - Epidemiology, treatment trial of spectacles for astigmatism-related amblyopia

Gene therapy for RPE65 Leber Congenital Amaurosis
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor clinical trials in RP patients
Pre-clinical Gene Therapy for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

Slide 15: ARRA - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

www.nei.nih.gov/recovery

Slide 16: ARRA - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Funding Impact

Stimulate the economy
Create and preserve jobs
Expend over 2 years
Advance biomedical research
Improve national health

Under the ARRA, the NIH received $10B. Of that, $174M was designated for NEI.

Slide 17: ARRA - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Scientific Research Approach

Stimulate and accelerate biomedical research with existing mechanisms

NEI Research Project Grants (RPGs)

R01 Research Project Grant Program
R01 Revisions
R01 Administrative Supplements
R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award
RC1 Challenge Grants - up to $500K total costs / yr for 2 yr
R15 AREA (Academic Research Enhancement Award)

Conducted by students and faculty in health professional schools and other academic components
Signature (U01) (Exceptionally creative projects to address major challenges)
Cooperative Clinical Research (U10)
Research & Development Contracts
Research Management and Support
Intramural Research Program (Equipment)