Medical research focuses on bioterrorism.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Security Beat

Research and development in bio-terrorism this year is top of the list, diverting funding from other core medical research, said Albert Teich, director of science and policy programs for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The spending for counter-terrorism research and development has shot up from $500 million in fiscal year 2002 to $3 billion in 2003. About half of the $3 billion was to be devoted to bio-terrorism R&D, he said.

A large part of these funds--the share for the National Institute of Health--was not added on to the NIH budget, Teich said. The secretary of homeland security has been given joint authority with the secretary of health and human services to set priorities for bio-terrorism, he said. "How this is going to work in...