CFIDS Research Applications Reviewed at NIH

Funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for CFIDS research has been an issue of concern to the CFIDS Association of America since it got involved in public policy in 1992. NIH funding for CFIDS research hovered around $6.5 million through the 1990s. In 2001 NIH ended support for three CFS Cooperative Research Centers and total funding declined. A September 2004 report prepared by the CFIDS Association called attention to the inclusion of non-CFS research in funding figures provided by NIH’s budget office. This report was presented to the federal CFS Advisory Committee, NIH officials and key members of Congress.

In July 2005, NIH issued a Request for Applications for CFS, outlining funding priority for studies that focused on possible neuroimmune mechanisms and CFS. $4 million was set aside by the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) and five other institutes for successful proposals, an important added incentive to research teams. Twenty-nine proposals were received by the due date and those applications were evaluated by a peer-review panel on January 26, 2006. Although most of the 25 panelists had no prior research track record in CFS, according to participants and observers, the review went smoothly, the dialogue was productive and several research applications were judged of sufficient quality and merit to receive fundable scores.

The next step in the process is referral of the most promising projects back to the ORWH and other institutes and then review by their advisory councils that make final funding decisions. The awards will be announced in May and funding will begin in September.