A new national roadmap is urging philanthropic organisations in the United States to broaden their investment focus beyond traditional biomedical research and strengthen funding for what experts are calling “health solutions science.” The approach emphasises prevention, healthcare delivery systems, policy reform, and the social and environmental factors that influence overall health outcomes.
The roadmap, titled Accelerating Gains in Health through Research: A Funder Roadmap, outlines a framework aimed at improving health outcomes by addressing the real-world conditions that determine whether scientific discoveries translate into better public health. It highlights the gap between high levels of healthcare spending in the United States and persistent inequalities in access, outcomes, and prevention.
Developed through 18 national convenings led by philanthropic organisations, the roadmap builds on growing consensus that improving health requires an interdisciplinary approach. This includes integrating biomedical science with implementation research, care delivery innovation, and policy-driven interventions.
Experts involved in the initiative argue that many current funding systems prioritise treatment-focused research while underinvesting in prevention and system-level solutions. As a result, promising approaches that could reduce disease burden early often struggle to scale or attract long-term support.
The roadmap also coincides with discussions featured in a special issue of the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, which focuses on innovation in healthcare delivery and preventive strategies.
According to Dr. Tammy Collins of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, improving health outcomes requires addressing broader determinants such as social, economic, behavioural, and environmental factors. She emphasised that the goal is not to replace biomedical research, but to better connect it with systems that determine real-world impact.
The report notes that prevention-focused research presents unique challenges, particularly because its benefits are harder to measure compared to treatments. However, it stresses that population-level improvements from avoided disease and better health systems are significant, even if less immediately visible.
Philanthropic organisations are being encouraged to play a leading role in supporting long-term, cross-sector collaboration. Recommended priorities include strengthening implementation science, improving care delivery systems, supporting policy-relevant research, and building stronger partnerships between communities, researchers, and institutions.
The roadmap is expected to be a key discussion point at an upcoming national convening of funders and health partners, where stakeholders will explore strategies to expand coordinated investment in prevention-focused health research and system transformation.
