NIH Reform/Restructuring
- Some policymakers have proposed restructuring the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and consolidating its 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs). Under these proposals, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) would be merged with other unrelated ICs resulting in the loss of an entity dedicated to improving oral health.
- Eliminating ICs that have decades of knowledge and research agendas dedicated to specific organs, body functions, and diseases jeopardizes scientific progress made over decades and will lead to adverse health outcomes.
- Consolidation will dilute the specialized focus that allows each IC to conduct targeted, effective research in its area of expertise, potentially leading to a loss of the deep specialization that drives progress in health research and product innovations.
- Each IC provides specialized training programs for the next generation of researchers, builds expertise, offers mentorship opportunities, and fosters a research community investigating how to advance health in every area of the body.
- Broad structural changes to NIH should be evidence-based and informed by scientific expertise. Reforms should only occur after an open and transparent process that includes input from a variety of key stakeholders. It should not be implemented through the appropriations process or via unilateral administrative action.
Need for an Independent NIDCR
- Oral diseases and conditions place an undue health and economic burden on the American people. Americans spend roughly $175 billion on dental care annually, with a much higher percentage of that coming directly out of pocket compared to other health care costs.
- NIDCR is the nation’s primary and only dental, oral, and craniofacial biomedical and behavioral research and research training organization.
- Situating NIDCR under a broader institute would diminish the focus and investment in oral health research at NIH, including disease prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies.
- As an entry to the body, the oral cavity and microbiome represent a distinct and complex ecosystem with unique functions and challenges. Having a dedicated institute centered on this region is essential to ensure research into areas such as tooth development, gum disease, orofacial pain, and craniofacial birth defects.
- NIDCR is one of just two institutes that specifically support a profession (National Institute of Nursing Research). A strong independent NIDCR is vital to the oral health of the American people and to America’s dental schools. Research is foundational to the dental profession.
- For more, see this fact sheet: NIDCR Must Remain an Independent NIH Institute
