FACT SHEET

1. For all science there has been an 18% decrease in funds

spent for basic research since 19&. This is compounded
by increasing costs due to inflation.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

The percentage of the Gross National Product devoted to
research and development in the United States has dropped
from 2.92 in 1967 to 2.19 in 1976, a substantial decrease.
In West Germany the percentage of the GNP has increased
from 1.97 in 1967 to 2.13 in 1976; in Japan from 1.55 in
1967 to 1.99 in 1976; and in the USSR from 2.55 in 1967 to
3.18 in 1976--a substantial increase.

In the eight-year period 1967 to 1975, the National Insti-
tutes of Health have substantially reduced, by l?%, their
total support for scientist-initiated grants.

For all of the NIH, the percentage of grants funded to
grants submitted has decreased from 53% in 1967 to 33% in
1977 .


The number of grants funded by the National Institute of
General Medical Sciences (the only institute devoted entirely
to basic research) decreased from 63% in 1972 to 35% in 1977.

Funds for training young scientists have decreased from 18%
of the NIH's extramural budget in 1967 to 6.8% of the budget
in 1976.

Biomedical research support of grants have decreased from 7%
of the NIH's extramural budget in 1967 to 3% in 1975.

U.S. Industry has substantially reduced its spending for
research over the last decade. In 1976, for example, indus-
try employed 43,000 fewer scientists than it did in 1970.