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For Release: March 4, 2004
Contact: DMS Communications(603) 650-1492
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New Hampshire Residents Support U.S. Leadership in Medical Research
HANOVER, NH--According to a New Hampshire poll released today by Research!America 83 percent of adults say they think it is very important for the United States to maintain its position as a world leader in scientific research. Ninety two percent think that it is important for New Hampshire to be a leader in medical and health research.
"How fortunate we are to be in a state in which there is such strong support for medical and health research," said Stephen Spielberg, MD, PhD, vice president for health affairs, Dartmouth College and dean, Dartmouth Medical School. "In particular, it is gratifying to see that 95 percent of our residents believe that it is important for New Hampshire to continue to train and educate qualified people to conduct medical, health and scientific research."
The poll also revealed strong support among New Hampshire residents for publicly and privately funded research, stating that it is important for the New Hampshire economy and its citizens:
- 95 percent think spending money on medical and health research is important to New Hampshire's economy.
- 70 percent support a higher national commitment to health-related research.
- 84 percent strongly support government, universities and private industry working together to develop new treatments and cures.
"Medical and health research lead to improvements in our quality of life and enable individuals to have a healthier future," said Mary Woolley, president of Research!America. "New Hampshire residents clearly understand and appreciate that this research is a crucial force in improving quality of life and their state's economy."
The poll results were released in advance of a forum to be held Friday, March 5 from 4-6 p.m. at the Norris Cancer Center, Dartmouth University. The forum "Transforming Medicine: Accelerating the Impact of Scientific Discovery on Patient Care" will feature Elias A. Zerhouni, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health; Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute; Senator Judd Gregg; and Peter Corr, PhD, senior vice president of Pfizer, among others, and will bring perspectives from research, industry, academia and government. Sponsors for the program include Dartmouth College, Dartmouth Medical School, Friends of Cancer Research, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and Research!America.
The poll was commissioned by Research!America a not-for-profit, membership-supported national alliance of organizations and individuals dedicated to enhancing public education and advocacy for medical, health and scientific research. The poll was conducted by Charlton Research Company by telephone among 800 adults in New Hampshire. The entire sample was proportionate to the state's demographics, including geography, gender, voter registration and ethnicity. The survey, fielded February 11-16, 2004, has a theoretical sampling error of +/-3.5 percent.
For more information on the New Hampshire poll contact Research!America at 703-739-2577 or visit www.researchamerica.org.
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