The U.S. Congress has been increasing its control 
over HHS research funding in a manner that 
restricts the types of research funded in 
addition to academic freedom. You may find this 
recent development of interest. Following is a 
statement about the Consortium of Social Science 
Associations and the text of a letter that 
describes the latest manifestation of this problem.

The Consortium of Social Science Associations 
(COSSA) is circulating a letter regarding 
provisions in the House Labor/HHS appropriations 
bill that would prohibit the use of funds by the 
National Institutes of Health on economic 
research programs, projects or activities ­
http://healthyamericans.org/health-issues/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/House-LHHS-FY-2013-Economics-31.pdf.

The letter cites that, “Economic research, 
specifically research on the linkages between 
socioeconomic status and health outcomes in the 
elderly and achievement and health outcomes in 
children, has been an integral part of the 
interdisciplinary science NIH has supported 
historically.”  The deadline is close of business 
today. Please RSVP to [log in to unmask]

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Text of letter:

We the undersigned national organizations are 
writing to express our concerns regarding several 
provisions in the Fiscal Year 2013 Labor, Health 
and Human Services and Education Appropriations 
Act that micromanages the National Institutes of 
Health (NIH) in addition to freezing its budget; 
thus limiting the agency’s ability to support the 
most promising, scientifically-driven research. 
Specifically, we are opposed to language in the 
bill that prohibits the NIH to use funds “for any 
economic research programs, projects or activities.”

As you know, the NIH mission is to support 
scientifically rigorous, peer-reviewed research, 
including basic and applied behavioral and social 
science research. Economic research, specifically 
research on the linkages between socioeconomic 
status and health outcomes in the elderly and 
achievement and health outcomes in children, has 
been an integral part of the interdisciplinary 
science NIH has supported historically. The 
agency’s investment has yielded key data, 
methodologies and substantive insights on some of 
the most important and pressing issues facing the U.S.

For example:

* NIH funded surveys such as the Health and 
Retirement Survey, the Panel Study of Income 
Dynamics, parts of the National Longitudinal 
Survey of Labor Market Experiences, and surveys 
on International Aging and retirement provide 
data necessary to monitor and detect changes in 
important socioeconomic trends in health.

* Economic modeling and methodologies and the 
longitudinal data from these surveys enable 
researchers to disentangle cause from effect and 
measure the relative significance of the 
different socioeconomic and environmental 
determinants of health related trends.

* Results of NIH funded economic research provide 
insights into important topics such as the 
functioning of the health care system, design and 
effects of health insurance and financing, 
diffusion of new health technologies, cost 
analysis and projections of health care, 
retirement date, savings, wealth accumulation and 
assets, and health-employment  nexus and relationship.

NIH support of economics is also playing a key 
role in nurturing new fields of research such as 
the economics of aging, neuroeconomics and 
behavioral economics. Other agencies, including 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Social Security Administration, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, and 
Administration on Aging, rely on the NIH to 
review, fund, and disseminate research findings 
that these agencies can translate into informed 
policy and programmatic decisions.

As the bill moves forward, we urge the Committee 
to reconsider the implications of this language 
and remove it from the final funding package 
whether the bill moves independently or is made 
part of a larger spending measure.

Thank you for your consideration of our views.

Sincerely,

American Economic Association
Association of Population Centers
Coalition for the Advancement of Health Through 
Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (CAHT-BSSR)
Coalition to Protect Research (CPR)
Consortium of Social Science Associations
Population Association of America

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