Since the 1970s there has been a serious gap between fundamental biological research and its clinical application. In response to this gap the Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust instituted the General Organizational Grants program, which funded two types of awards to provide training that would bridge the bed-bench gap. These training awards fell into two categories: (1) those that provided significant opportunities for M.D.s to engage in basic research during and immediately following medical school and residency, and (2) those that provided significant clinical exposure for Ph.D.s while they were predoctoral or postdoctoral students. These grants were intended to close the widening gap between rapid advances in our understanding of the biological process and the translation of that knowledge into techniques for preventing diseases. This report examines the General Organizational Grant programs, identifies best practices, and provides observations for future philanthropic funders.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON THE EVALUATION OF THE LUCILLE P. MARKEY CHARITABLE TRUST PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
• BOARD ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE
• Preface
• Executive Summary
  • MARKEY GRANT PROGRAMS
• Introduction
• History of the Markey Trust
• Grant Programs
  • MARKEY SCHOLARS AND FELLOWS
  • MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS
  • GENERAL ORGANIZATIONAL GRANTS
• Assessing the Markey General Organizational Grants Program
  • LIMITATIONS TO THIS ASSESSMENT
• The Biomedical Research Environment in the 1980s
• Closing the Bed-Bench Gap
  • TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PHYSICIANS
  • TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PH.D. SCIENTISTS
  • TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR BOTH PH.D. SCIENTISTS AND PHYSICIANS
• The Current Biomedical Research Environment
• Conclusions and Observations for Philanthropic Funders
• References
• Appendixes
  • A Bridge Building Between Medicine and Basic Science
  • B The Endangered Physician-Scientist: Opportunities for Revitalization Emerge
  • C Workshop on Training Programs in Patient-Oriented Pathobiology for Basic Scientists
  • D Workshop on Training Programs in Patient-Oriented Pathobiology for Basic Scientists
  • E Descriptions of Programs Participating in the Workshop on Training Programs in Patient-Oriented Pathobiology for Basic Scientists
  • F Summary of Site Visits to Markey-Funded Programs That Provided Training in Basic Research to Physicians
  • G Biographies of Members of the Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust Programs in Biomedical Sciences Committee

Suggested citation:

National Research Council. 2004. Bridging the Bed-Bench Gap: Contributions of the Markey Trust. Committee on the Evaluation of the Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust Programs in Biomedical Sciences. Board on Higher Education and Workforce, Policy and Global Affairs Division. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Contract/Grant No. OSEP-97-M-03-A between the National Academy of Sciences and The Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.