The United States government put a stop to a children’s health study that has already cost taxpayers one point three billion dollars, and more than a decade’s worth of work from researchers.
The United States government has put a stop to a longitudinal children’s health study run by the National Institutes of Health that has already cost taxpayers one point three billion dollars, and more than a decade’s worth of work by researchers.
The National Children’s Study was meant to keep tabs on a hundred thousand children in their youth from before they were born through their adolescence.
Researchers wanted to use the study to get insights into autism and other developmental health problems.
But after budget cuts, and an evaluation by a Working Group convened by the NIH, the project was canceled.
Francis Collins, the NIH Director, put the study on hold before shutting it down completely saying the way it was designed it isn’t feasible.
Congress authorized the project back in 2000 after a small pilot study, and since 2007 the project has cost around one point three billion dollars, which was enough to raise budget concerns.
According to officials from the government, the remaining 165 million dollars that would have gone towards funding the project will be used to pay for smaller projects.
Advocates and researchers who were working on the cancelled project are reportedly worried that the money has already been allocated to projects that don’t involve children’s health research.
