This research seeks to describe the continuing predicament of R&D funding in the U.S. and to provide support for a return to higher R&D spending as a proportion of GDP to maintain American leadership in innovation. Historically, government investment has funded most foundational scientific research leading to technological advances in…

Although investigators in health sciences are increasingly interested in using mixed methods, greater adoption requires funding opportunities. Funding allocations can signal recognition of a particular methodology and proficiency of investigators in using such methods. We examined trends in prevalence of mixed methods research funded by federal…

Introduction: Previous studies suggest that many systematic reviews contain meta-analyses that display temporal trends, such as the first study's result being more extreme than later studies' or a drift in the pooled estimate. We assessed the extent and characteristics of temporal trends using all Cochrane intervention reports published 2008-2012.…

Temporal changes in magnitude of effect sizes reported in many areas of research are a threat to the credibility of the results and conclusions of meta-analysis. Numerous sequential methods for meta-analysis have been proposed to detect changes and monitor trends in effect sizes so that meta-analysis can be updated when necessary and interpreted…

The last 20 years have seen significant international shifts towards greater patient and public involvement (PPI) in health research and development (R and D). In England, then first health R and D strategy in 1991 did not mention PPI. Twenty years later, PPI is deeply embedded within the National Institute for Health Research. This article…

This study shows that the number of autism research grants funded in the US from 1997 to 2006 significantly increased 15% per year. Although the majority of projects were concentrated in basic science (65%) compared to clinical (15%) and translational research (20%), there is a significant decrease in the proportion of basic research grants per…

The analysis of costs of National Institutes of Health (NIH) bio-medical research demonstrates that the increased expenditures for research project grants are due to such factors as real growth in the program, artifacts of the calculation method, and the extent to which project periods of awards have lengthened. (Author/DB)

The article analyzes three challenges confronting academic medical centers in the areas of education, patient care, and research. Encouraged are: (1) an expanded role by medical centers in training primary care physicians; (2) modification of physician reimbursement policies; and (3) resolution of conflicts of interest for biomedical scientists in…

Research articles from the oldest continuing medical journal in English were studied in terms of rhetorical analysis of broad genre characteristics and linguistic analysis of registral features using Biber's system of text analysis. Results suggest evolution influenced can be accounted for by changing epistemological norms of medical knowledge,…

An interview with the former editor of "The New England Journal of Medicine" examines the impact on medical education of corporatization of the health-care system, including pressures to see more patients, less time spent with each patient, financial pressures limiting medical research, issues related to tenure, and concerns that young doctors are…

Objective: This article highlights the importance of distributed broadband networks as part of the core infrastructure necessary to deliver academic research and education programs. Method: The authors review recent developments in the field and present the University of California, Davis, environment as a case study of a future virtual regional…

An interpretation of the dollar dimension of medical progress, the role of nonmonetary factors in the equation, and suggestions for public policy are presented. Medical leadership must help formulate recommendations aimed at reductions in medical school enrollments, fee schedules for physicians, costly technology, etc. (MLW)

This keynote address reviews previous efforts at developing a research policy agenda for child abuse and neglect, reviews medical research directions in child sexual abuse, suggests the author's views of potential research areas, and suggests a policy infrastructure to further implementation of the conference's proposals. (DB)

An analysis of the state of medical informatics, the application of computer and information technology to biomedicine, looks at trends and concerns, including integration of traditionally distinct enterprises (clinical information systems, financial information, scholarly support activities, infrastructures); informatics career choice and…

Analyzed support for gerontological education and research (1976-1986) for Administration on Aging, Bureau of Health Professions, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, and Veterans Administration. Determined that total federal allocations varied greatly between social/behavioral and biomedical components of aging field,…