December 10, 2008

KOHL RELEASES COMMITTEE REPORT HIGHLIGHTING VITAL ROLE OF FEDERALLY-FUNDED AGING RESEARCH

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, released an official Committee report, entitled Recognition of Excellence in Aging Research, describing federally-funded research that addresses the well-being of older adults in a wide range of areas, such as maintaining health, assuring adequate income, finding employment, engaging in productive and rewarding activity, securing proper housing, and obtaining long-term care services. Such research helps to inform Congress during the process of developing legislation, and guides executive branch agencies in implementing programs and policies.

"America's older population will double in size over the next thirty years. Every federal agency will be affected, and every federal agency should be taking steps to prepare," said Chairman Kohl. "As this report shows, many already are. Their research has been and will continue to be vital as we shape policy to keep our nation's seniors healthy and financially secure in the coming decades."

In fields as diverse as biomedical sciences, housing, and environmental protection, federal agencies are making important contributions to the body of aging-related knowledge and science. Collecting data about older people and conducting research on their health, economic status, and social support systems substantially improves the ability of community leaders, program administrators, and the legislative branch to develop and monitor effective public policy. In this way, aging-related research conducted by federal agencies helps older Americans lead healthier and more productive lives, and has also led to significant breakthroughs in science and medicine. The report demonstrates that the public sector is dedicated to improving the quality of life for older adults and their families and serves as a catalyst for continued progress in addressing the most pressing concerns of the nation's older population.

Each Congress, the Special Committee on Aging is required to produce a report that outlines the gaps as well as advancements made in programs and policies for the older population. In May 2008, the Committee asked all federal departments and agencies to identify federally-funded research projects that address the well-being of older adults and contribute significantly to policymakers' knowledge and understanding of social, economic, and medical issues related to aging. Twenty-seven agencies, ranging from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA, submitted over two hundred research projects to be included in this report. Agencies responded by identifying a wide range of research projects, including efforts to promote interagency collaboration in aging-related research, strengthen research infrastructure, initiate or advance data collection efforts, and carry out demonstration projects that are testing new methods of resolving aging-related policy issues.