There have been numerous significant advances realized through bovine infectious disease research. However, BRD remains a significant disease threat and a cause of tremendous loss. It is very clear that renewed efforts and innovative strategies are required to build on the successes of the past to achieve the successes of tomorrow, says D. Scott McVey, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVM, Veterinary Diagnostic Center, University of Nebraska. “Continued and improved support of BRD research will prove to be a worthy investment,” McVey says.

To achieve better coordination and perhaps more efficient use of all resources, the following supportive actions could be considered:

• Coordination of integrative teams through an over-arching agency (USDA) to provide peer review and priority review for available public research funds. This would include use of development grants (as seed and matching funding) available to public/private partnerships.
• Strengthen testing and validation of new procedures in production settings (providing more than cost analyses). Promote publication of studies.
• Re-establish old links between clinicians, diagnosticians and basic research. This would include published sets of “best practices”.
• Strengthen programs to support both basic and applied research through graduate fellowships, residencies, workshops and start-up funding for young research scientists. There is a critical need to provide sustained funding to train the next generation of research investigators.