Federal Budget Cuts Changing Research, Fundraising

A Louisville-based foundation that raises money for medical research says cuts in federal support for science and health projects has put more pressure on philanthropists to finance research.National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research board chair Paula Grisanti says the new focus on cutting the federal budget and stopping earmarks in Congress could potentially devastate research projects that rely on federal grants."It's pretty grim," she says. "Obviously earmarks are off the table for the foreseeable future and funding for research in general in the US is getting very tight."Grisanti's foundation secures money from private sources to help finance research at the University of Louisville and other institutions. She says demand for private dollars has increased over the last few years, especially since the National Institutes for Health budget has been stagnant."As federal funding decreases the need for philanthropic funding increases. The imperative now is to increase our fundraising efforts, to work harder than ever," she says. "Grisanti says the foundation has no specific fundraising goals for this year.Grisanti was interviewed recently in the Lane Report.