A review of 10 years of human microbiome research activities at the US National Institutes of Health, Fiscal Years 2007-2016.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Descriptive portfolio analysis and administrative review (graded by design analogy)
PubMed 30808411 · doi:10.1186/s40168-019-0620-y
What was done
The authors reviewed the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) extramural research portfolio in human microbiome research spanning fiscal years 2007 to 2016. The review evaluated the 10-year Human Microbiome Project (HMP) program, summarized non-HMP extramural funding across 21 NIH Institutes and Centers for fiscal years 2012 to 2016, and identified technical gaps in translating findings into clinical interventions.
What was found
NIH extramural support for human microbiome research included $215 million dedicated to the 10-year HMP (FY 2007–2016) and $728 million invested in non-HMP extramural microbiome research across FY 2012–2016. A total of 21 of the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers funded human microbiome projects.
Why it matters
This report maps the federal funding trajectory that established the primary foundational infrastructure, datasets, and tools for contemporary human microbiome science in the United States.
Limits
This is an administrative and descriptive portfolio review rather than a systematic synthesis of clinical or biological findings. The abstract provides aggregate funding numbers but does not report quantitative bibliometric outcomes, specific disease trial metrics, or clinical effect sizes.
Cited by
- supports The Human Microbiome Project launched in 2007 to map the microbial communities across various human body sites including the mouth, gut, and skin.