[Paleopsych] CHE: NIH Continues to Place a Low Priority on Research on Gender Differences

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NIH Continues to Place a Low Priority on Research on Gender Differences,
Health-Advocacy Group Says
News bulletin from the Chronicle of Higher Education, 5.5.11
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/05/2005051102n.htm

    [53]By SILLA BRUSH
    Washington

    Research on the biological and health differences between men and
    women remains a low priority at the National Institutes of Health,
    according to a report released on Tuesday by the Society for Women's
    Health Research, despite what the society says is increasing evidence
    of the importance of such research.

    The society, a Washington-based advocacy organization, says research
    on sexual differences is necessary in all types of biological studies.
    But from 2000 to 2003, only about 3 percent of all grants awarded by
    the NIH went to projects on the differences between men and women,
    according to the report, although there was nearly a 20-percent
    increase in the total number of NIH grants.

    "Given the growing body of literature on sex differences, external
    reports about NIH practices, and the NIH's internal efforts to promote
    this research, we had hoped to see higher and increasing levels of
    funding for this important area of research," Sherry A. Marts, the
    society's vice president for scientific affairs and an author of the
    report, said in a written statement.

    Donald M. Ralbovsky, a spokesman for the NIH, said the agency was
    reviewing the report. He declined to comment further.

    The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism awarded 8
    percent of its grants to such research, the highest level of any NIH
    center, according to the report. The centers that have the most money
    and support the most grants each year, such as the National Cancer
    Institute and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, however,
    ranked low in their support for studies on sexual and gender
    differences. From 2000 to 2003, the centers that financed the highest
    percentage of studies on sexual differences also cut back on their
    support.

    To increase the level of support, the society recommends updating NIH
    guidelines to promote that type of research and issuing an NIH-wide
    public announcement inviting applications for the research.

    The full text of the report, "National Institutes of Health:
    Intramural and Extramural Support for Research on Sex Differences,
    2000-2003," is available on the center's [71]Web site.
      _________________________________________________________________

    Background articles from The Chronicle:
      * [73]Study Challenges View That Clinical Trials Have Focused on Men
        (5/11/2001)
      * [74]More Research Needed on Women, Study Finds (5/19/2000)
      * [75]Studies of Women's Health Produce a Wealth of Knowledge on the
        Biology of Gender Differences (6/25/1999)

References

   53. mailto:silla.brush at chronicle.com
   71. http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/press/CRISPreport.pdf
   73. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i35/35a01801.htm
   74. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v46/i37/37a04403.htm
   75. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v45/i42/42a01901.htm

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