The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is urging Congress to support medical research with infrastructure investments.
In a letter dated May 19, the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research -- of which SNMMI is part -- noted that medical research is part of the country's intellectual infrastructure.
"Like the physical roads and bridges that we traditionally consider infrastructure, our nation's medical research facilities and research personnel are critical infrastructure that are essential to improve our health and prosperity," the group wrote.
Lauding funding directed to the U.S. National Institutes of Health in the past year for COVID-19 research, the group urged Congress to continue this support with "one-time emergency funding for federal research agencies as outlined in the bipartisan Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act ... including $10 billion for NIH."
This support is crucial going forward, the group concluded.
"Investments in research infrastructure such as high-speed computation, greater data repository capacity, improved biocontainment capabilities, and other cutting-edge research facilities will contribute to greater resiliency during pandemics and will better prepare the research community -- and the nation -- to respond to future outbreaks and other existing and emerging threats," it wrote.
