Funding medical mycology: Strategies for attracting the private sector

Abstract

In past years, fundamental scientific research has enjoyed support from a variety of governmental and philanthropic sources. In the United States, for example, these have included investigator-initiated and centrally-initiated research programs through the National Institutes of Health, research agencies of various medical specialties such as the American Lung Association, investigators’ own institutions, and research funds distributed by individual states including New York, Texas, and Arizona. Although such support continues, it has not expanded to accommodate the number of scientists currently interested in pursuing meritorious research programs to their fullest. It is therefore useful to consider alternative means of financial support. The purpose of this essay is to reconsider the option of industrial or private-sector support of medical mycology.