''Whether for lack of time, expectation of greater funding, more ability to control variables or other reasons, the physician-investigator has turned away from involvement in human research. Obtaining funding for human studies is considered so difficult that many investigators are discouraged and in some instances, bitter."⁴

"Concerns of insufficient access to research support have been voiced by a variety of individual surgical investigators. Frustrated by a perceived inability to successfully compete for NCI grant support, some surgical oncologists have criticized aspects of the current NCI peer-review mechanisms for awarding grants."⁵

"It is essential to understand that in 1988 it is effectively impossible for an individual investigator to obtain NIH funding for human investigation."⁶

"If I leave here (Intramural Program) I will leave research" [because its impossible to get a grant for clinical research].⁷

"Friedman told the board that clinical investigators do complain that is very difficult to get RO1 grants: 'The perception is that they receive poorer priority scores and inferior funding', he remarked. 'If one looks at...comparisons by program...it's evident, that year by year, there are inferior funding rates for the clinical proposals compared to the preclinical proposals' Friedman stated. 'This does not indicate whether the proposals are good or not'; 'I would argue that some of them are [good]. What we need is [the submission of] more good clinical proposals.'"⁸