Public Benefits from the Research-Intensive Universities/Federal Government Partnership: 



All NIH supported research is aimed at improving health and health related quality of life, from basic research 

 to the development of new technology. However, ancillary benefits have also resulted. The following are examples of 

 some of the additional public benefits that have accrued over the years from the NIH/university partnership: 



• NIH-supported research has been a major contributor to development in other fields, such as the 

 biotechnology industry and agriculture. 



• NIH research and training grants provide for a major increase in the public's "intellectual capital." 



• Biomedical research has been a crucial component of medical cost containment, a serious challenge 

 now facing the American economy. 



• NIH research grants support a large number of individuals and have a large "multiplier effect." A 



recent study estimated that in Pf 1990 NIH supported at least 53,000 full-time equivalent scientific and 

 technical positions. 



NIH/DHHS Expectations/Requirements from its Relationship with Universities: 



The implementation, through technology transfer, of research advances to the improvement in the health and 

 productivity of the Nation's citizens and, consequently, the economic benefit of the public is the paramount goal. 

 Subordinate goals are: training scientists in health-related research to enhance the supply of personnel; the provision 

 of education and the promotion of scientific literacy for informed decisions about health-related and science technol- 

 ogy-related issues; and the provision of an environment to promote equal opportunity for participation in the effort. 

 When the NIH provides funds to the recipient institutions, it expects that a good faith effort will be made to ac- 

 complish the scientific purposes for which the funds are expended, that proper financial safeguards will be in place, 

 and that applicable laws, rules, and regulations will be followed. 



Additionally, the ability of the Federal government and university partnership to respond quickly to perceived 

 research needs (as in AIDS) can be expected to assume greater importance. 



Requirements and restrictions imposed on the institutions that receive these funds include: 



• Provision of a creative environment along with safeguards to promote scientific integrity and avoid conflict 

 of interest; 



• Provision of administrative and financial checks to ensure the proper stewardship of Federal funds; and 



• Provision of a system of assurances that implement social, legal, and ethical programs to include concerns 

 such as civil rights, protection of the rights of human research subjects, proper care and management of 

 animals utilized in research, and a drug-free workplace. 



Issues with Current Relationship/Barriers to an Effective Relationship: 



Tensions between academia and the Federal Government. 



Tensions exist between the Federal Government and academia as both partners struggle with the fundamental 

 problem of creating and supporting an environment conducive to the conduct of science. Among such strains are con- 

 cerns such as innovative versus "safe" research, "big" versus "little" science, mandated research versus investigator- 

 initiated ideas. 



As demands for both scientific and administrative accountability increase, while, at the same time, fiscal resour- 

 ces remain constrained, the capacity of both partners to carry out their mutual responsibilities has come under stress. 

 Although difficult, a state of equilibrium between sufficient accountability and unproductive administrative burden is 

 imperative. In the absence of equilibrium, overregulation can occur, with an adverse economic impact that affects 

 both the costs and the timeliness of discovery and application of research. 



53 



