Tag Archives: spending

No CDC Funding for CFS?

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

ME/CFS advocates focus almost exclusively on research funding from the National Institutes of Health, and with good reason. But now it appears that funding for the Centers for Disease Control’s CFS program may be at risk in the 2016 appropriations … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Commentary, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 225 Comments

A New Strategic Plan

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

The National Institutes of Health is creating its first strategic plan, at the request of Congress. The public now has an opportunity to comment, and this is an important opportunity to reinforce the need for ME/CFS research funding. Liz Willow … Continue reading →

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Brian Vastag to Dr. Francis Collins

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

Yesterday, an open letter from science writer Brian Vastag to Dr. Francis Collins (Director, NIH) flashed around the ME/CFS social media-sphere like lightning. Then it spread among Brian’s high profile colleagues, like Martin Enserink and Carl Zimmer. Brian’s letter is … Continue reading →

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Talk Is Cheap

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

In today’s guest post, Denise Lopez-Majano makes the case that the time for talk is over and the time for action is now. For decades, stakeholders have advocated for funding commensurate with the severity of ME/CFS. The government’s response has … Continue reading →

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P2P: Where Next?

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

There is one official final step in the P2P process: a federal partners meeting supposed to be held six to eight months after the workshop. But there are other marching orders, too. For us. Federals Only As described on the … Continue reading →

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Stuck? Four Months of Almost Nothing

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

In this guest post, Dr. Alan Gurwitt argues that it is time for ME/CFS advocacy to move on and move forward. The post first appeared on the website for the Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association, and is reprinted here with … Continue reading →

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2014 NIH Spending on ME/CFS Studies

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

Update: This post was revised on October 29, 2016 to correct mathematical errors and update the included research. There is no denying or avoiding the importance of the IOM report and its associated controversies, but ME/CFS advocates must keep eyes … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

NIH: Passing ME/CFS Over Again

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

NIH will (in its own mind anyway) be showcasing ME/CFS at the P2P Workshop next week. But ME/CFS research at NIH is caught in a never-ending cycle of being passed over in every way that matters. At its June 2014 … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

P2P and Dr. Francis Collins

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

On January 3, 2014, just three days before the P2P Working Group meeting, a troubling series of emails was exchanged among NIH leadership. These emails show confusion at the leadership level about the ME/CFS P2P and IOM efforts, and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

NIH Says No, and Also No

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

With no announcement or fanfare, the CFS Advisory Committee has posted a response from HHS to the June 2014 recommendations. My information is that  – inexplicably – even CFSAC members were not notified when the response was posted. I urge … Continue reading →

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