The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report Breaking Through, released Thursday, represents an important first step toward ensuring that the United States has the scientific workforce needed to face 21st-century infectious disease challenges.
The membership of the Infectious Diseases Society of America applauds the National Academies for developing this report with input gathered across the biomedical research community and incorporating IDSA recommendations. We commend the report’s calls for increased congressional funding to the National Institutes of Health and the biomedical research community and expanded opportunities for young investigators to enter the field. We appreciate recommendations that address barriers to attaining research grants and independent research careers. We hope these recommendations will further efforts already underway at the NIH and help galvanize Congress to sustain and increase our national investment in the biomedical research workforce.
IDSA has long championed opportunities for ID scientists and has co-hosted an annual meeting with the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases geared toward fellows, residents and medical students interested in pursuing a research career. As Congress, the NIH and research institutions prepare to act on the recommendations in Breaking Through, we stand ready to lend our guidance and support.