Biomedical Research is a Strategic Imperative

conceptual illustration of medical funding

Illustration by Jessie Lin

Throughout our history, Johns Hopkins Medicine has pursued discoveries that push the boundaries of medicine and science — unlocking solutions to some of our most difficult challenges. Today, that means research that could one day eliminate the need for daily insulin injections for millions of Americans with Type 1 diabetes. Or help prevent the millions of childhood deaths caused by acute lower respiratory infections by using a smarter digital stethoscope. Or help us detect and treat Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms arise. All of this is made possible by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

We focus every day on how research saves lives, and it does. But it also saves precious resources. At Johns Hopkins and peer research universities across the country, we’re not just developing new treatments: We are helping reduce the long-term costs of disease, disability and chronic care.

Through public and private collaboration, Johns Hopkins has helped drive medical and scientific discovery in the United States. This system of competitively awarded grants backed by the federal government has helped us attract the best physicians and scientists in the world, along with the most promising students. In turn, the government doesn’t have to build or maintain its own research facilities or manage its own research teams. 

Since the end of World War II, NIH funding has spurred the United States to lead the world in medical innovation. And time and again, it has proven to be a remarkably efficient partnership. Only about one in five NIH grant applications is funded, and the cost-sharing system ensures that federal dollars are tightly managed and regularly audited. When a grant is approved, the government agrees to share in the project expenses. These funds keep the lights on in our labs — but they also power the specialized technology, like MRIs and supercomputers, that makes modern medical discovery possible. They fund the infrastructure that ensures patient data is secure and helps sustain a robust pipeline of scientists.

Decision-makers need to know that biomedical research is not a discretionary expense — it is a strategic imperative. It remains one of the most prudent, life-sustaining investments we can make as a nation.

Theodore DeWeese

Much of the discourse in Washington earlier this year centered on the immediate costs of scientific research, rather than its long-term value. Reductions in NIH funding not only impede progress toward the next generation of medical breakthroughs — they also affect the strength of our economy and workforce. When early-career scientists are unable to secure grants or research positions, many are forced to pursue alternative careers or take their talents abroad. Decreases to research funding today mean fewer graduate students entering our training programs tomorrow — constraining our scientific workforce and our ability to develop the next cure. This represents a significant threat to our national competitiveness.

Moreover, the absence of continued investment has tangible consequences for patient care and health system costs. We know that scientific discovery is cumulative; each new insight builds upon previous knowledge, accelerating progress and enhancing the overall efficiency of our health care system. Every breakthrough brings us closer to preventing the next crisis. And every dollar committed to research today helps reduce the future burden of disease-related costs.

There are certainly opportunities for better alignment between the research that serves our patients and communities and the priorities of the new administration. As we work to identify those opportunities, decision-makers need to know that biomedical research is not a discretionary expense — it is a strategic imperative. It remains one of the most prudent, life-sustaining investments we can make as a nation. 

At Johns Hopkins Medicine, we see those rewards every day — in the patients who walk out of our hospitals with new hope, and in the discoveries that are changing the future of medicine. Together, we need to help others see those rewards as clearly as we do.