NIH has been described as the crown jewel of the Federal Government and some say it is the only jewel of the Federal Government.

The $10 billion allocation from the stimulus package has created a wave of excitement with the availability of 15,000 grants.

Do you think there is the capacity with our research ingenuity to pretty much eradicate the radical maladies of the world, with sufficient dollars for research?

I have some reluctance to see cancer treatment slowed up by the presence of you six distinguished scientists here this morning, so I will try not to keep you too long.

Congress is very anxious to support you and make the most generous allocations that we can to the National Institutes of Health.

I think it's important for us to develop new metrics to determine the potential of innovative research.

You, Senator, have been a leading light, and a much needed, advocate for the NIH.

There is no conversation that I've ever had about the grant system that doesn't have an incredible sense of consensus that it is not working.

So if you put up more money, you get more applications?

I think Tom Curran actually said it earlier.

It's the Kaufman review process?

I was not arguing for tripling the NIH budget, only the portion devoted to the competitive grant-review process.

the object is to promote health and if all of the eggs are in the research basket, you have the 'Valley of Death,' and there's not a practical application.

I think Dr. Curran and Dr. Kaufman are modest in just wanting three and one-half-times the $30 billion. I think the yield would be greater.

To what extent, Dr. Kaufman, do those royalties--how big a factor are the royalties?

My own sense is having been in the field and having the experts from the National Institutes of Health, it is an enormously impressive hearing.

The administration's proposal, this year, is to have an increase in NIH funding of $443 million, which is totally insufficient.

You talk about undertaking high-risk projects. The information in the New York Times article pointed out that on the category of Pioneer Awards only 3 to 5 percent of the applicants get funded.