From the Guidelines
Medical research funding should be allocated using a strategic approach that prioritizes diseases with high population impact, addresses health disparities, and supports both basic science and translational research, as recommended by the American Heart Association in 2023 1. This approach ensures that resources are directed at critical questions facing the field, with a focus on maximizing public health impact.
Key Considerations
- Funding agencies should direct resources toward conditions causing significant mortality and morbidity globally, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious diseases, and mental health disorders.
- A substantial portion of funding should target neglected diseases affecting vulnerable populations in low-resource settings.
- The allocation model should balance short-term practical applications with long-term fundamental research, as breakthroughs often emerge from basic science investigations.
- Funding decisions should incorporate cost-effectiveness analyses to maximize health outcomes per dollar spent, as suggested by the American Heart Association in 2009 1.
- Additionally, research infrastructure development in underserved regions helps build sustainable research capacity, which is essential for improving public health outcomes.
Stakeholder Involvement
Transparent decision-making processes involving diverse stakeholders, including patients, clinicians, researchers, and public health experts, help ensure funding reflects societal priorities and scientific opportunities. This approach is supported by various studies, including a consensus report by the Joint Diabetes Technology Working Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the American Diabetes Association in 2022 1, which emphasizes the importance of international and national research funding bodies providing funding for well-designed acquisition of independent clinical evidence.
Evidence-Based Decision Making
By prioritizing diseases with high population impact and addressing health disparities, medical research funding can be allocated in a way that maximizes public health impact, as recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2015 1. This approach ensures that resources are used effectively to improve health outcomes, reduce morbidity and mortality, and enhance quality of life.
From the Research
Medical Research Funding Allocation
To maximize public health impact, medical research funding should be allocated based on several key factors, including:
- The burden of disease: Funding should be prioritized for research into diseases that have the greatest impact on public health, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer 2
- The potential for breakthroughs: Research areas with the potential for major breakthroughs, such as genetic therapies for infectious diseases, should be prioritized 3
- The need for new treatments: Funding should be allocated to research into areas where there is a lack of effective treatments, such as certain types of cancer and autoimmune diseases 4
Policy Changes Impacting Medical Research Funding
Policy changes can have a significant impact on medical research funding, and should be carefully evaluated to ensure that they maximize public health impact. This can be achieved by:
- Using approaches such as difference-in-differences, propensity score, and synthetic control methods to evaluate the health effects of large-scale public policy changes 5
- Considering the shared risk factors and mechanisms between different diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, to identify potential targets for research and treatment 2
- Investing in genetic therapies and other innovative treatments that have the potential to revolutionize the field of medicine 6, 3
Key Research Areas
Some key research areas that should be prioritized for funding include:
- Genetic therapies for infectious diseases and cancer 3, 4
- Research into the shared risk factors and mechanisms between different diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer 2
- Development of new treatments for autoimmune diseases and other conditions where there is a lack of effective treatments 4