The increase comes after five years of flat funding in which much of the NIH's allocated funds were diverted to provide emergency funding for the Amerca's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Carrie Wolinetz of the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB).

The senate's latest move has garnered much support within Congress with potential sticking points being the decision to use emergency war funding to support scientific research.

However, the allocation of this fund would provide a much needed boost to the research community, who believe a trend of stagnation that began after 2004, has had a detrimental effect to morale and research progress.

"Unfortunately, after five years of flat funding, we are actually performing less research than we were six years ago, to the detriment of medical progress and discouragement of our best and brightest scientists," said FASEB President Robert Palazzo.

It is estimated the extra $400m to the NIH would be sufficient to fund approximately 700 additional research grants in 2008, a view supported by Senator Tom Harkin (D - Iowa), a strong supporter of medical research funding.

FASEB have also urged its 21 constituent societies, to contact the Senate in support of the supplemental, which also includes additional funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF).

In a letter to the Senator, Palazzo commented that, "The money in the supplemental package will help NIH recoup some of the loss it has suffered… over years of diminishing funding."

"The research funded by NIH and NSF provides hope for patients suffering from devastating diseases and injuries, as well as solutions for our society's most pressing concerns" stated Palazzo in a FASEB letter to the Senate.

He added that, innovations in energy, communications, diagnostics, and healthcare were founded on the basic science that is dependent on federal funding.

"Unfortunately, inadequate funding for research agencies has imperilled research progress and is turning away many of our best and brightest scientists."

The similar version of the supplemental appropriations bill in the US House of Representatives does not currently contain the NIH add-ons. It is likely that if the Senate passes it the House is likely to follow along and use the Senate version of the bill.

The FASEB President also called the inclusion of NIH and NSF funding in the

supplemental appropriations bill "an important step forward towards better health and quality of life."