Two institutes who fund firearm research at NIH will not be renewing an initiative focused on gun violence that was launched under former President Barack Obama. With supporters noting the NIH already “funds projects on brain-based and other causes of violence” and others noting that “much more important is the interaction of violence and sexual aggression with alcohol”, not everyone is in agreement.
“Garen Wintemute, an emergency medicine physician who directs the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, agreed with the NIH institute chiefs that alcohol abuse and other factors implicated in firearm violence have broader associations. “That said, the lack of support for research on firearm violence, as compared with the magnitude of the problem, is unique. A continued focused effort would be very useful….”
“…..gun violence researchers say that specifically targeted funding is crucial for supporting the field and attracting new researchers.”
Source: NIH institute directors stand firm on not renewing focused firearm research program, By Meredith Wadman – Nov. 15, 2017, Sciencemag.org. Read the full article here.
