Advocacy

Advocating for Science and Research Funding

NAVBO encourages you to advocate for science and research.  On this page, we will keep you informed of critical actions being taken that will impact the scientific community and actions you can take.  Through our membership with Research!America and other advocay sources, we hope to bring you up to date information.

Contacting Your Representatives Can Make a Difference for Science

If you are a U.S. citizen, let your U.S. representatives hear from you and encourage them to be advocating for science. There are many methods by which to reach out -  from attending meetings or personal visits to congressional offices, to doing something as simple as writing a postcard.  Be sure to reach out to your district and state representatives. Now, in addition to funding the NIH budget and other federal biomedical research budgets, scientists must clearly express how other policies impact scientific collaboration, a key component in the scientific process.

A report from United for Medical Research recently released a report on the impact of the NIH on US economy.  Download the report.

Here are links to organizations that encourage, support and aid science advocates:
Coalition for the Life Sciences
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Research!America

If you are aware  of other groups, please let us know and we will post them here (send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

From Research!America
August 22, 2019

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
August 22, 2019

Dear Research Advocate,

Our guest author this week is Ellie Dehoney, Research!America’s Vice President of Policy and Advocacy.

Ten years ago this month, Dr. Francis Collins became the 16th Director of the National Institutes of Health. The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, of which Research!America is a member, sent a letter to Dr. Collins congratulating and thanking him for his remarkable service, achievements and impact. Our latest web resource highlights the history, progress, and promise of the groundbreaking research NIH conducts and supports.

Funding for NIH and our nation’s other science agencies hinges on timely congressional action, and on you. Don’t wait to advocate. Hard-won legislation lifting the sequestration budget caps gave Congress some, but not much, flexibility to increase Fiscal Year 2020 funding for key priorities. If we want research to be one, we can’t (to quote esteemed former Congressman and Research!America Chair Emeritus John Porter) sit on our hands. We need to make the case.

Congressional appropriations staff are busy laying the groundwork now for action in September aimed at completing the FY20 budget. On the Senate side, the Labor-HHS bill (which funds NIH, CDC, and AHRQ) could be among the first bills appropriators consider when they return from August recess. Tweet appropriations leaders about the importance of robust research funding.

We’ll be covering the appropriations landscape and other pending issues during our monthly alliance member call, whichis taking place at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3. We’re also holding an in-person alliance meeting at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, September 23 with the lead congressional staff working to craft 21st Century Cures “2.0” legislation. Email Jacqueline at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more info and/or to sign up for these events.

Also in September: our National Health Research Forum. One of the panels will explore the role cross-sector partnerships play in meeting major health challenges. The FDA’s recent approval of a new TB Alliance-developed regimen for drug resistant TB exemplifies the positive impact of these partnerships.

This all-too-rare victory against antimicrobial resistance and much-needed win in the battle to contain TB (which, despite advances in treatment and care, still kills about 1.3million globally each year) brings to mind another of the Forum themes: Then, Now, Imagine. What’s standing in the way of faster progress against health threats like this one and what new answers may be on the horizon? The Forum is at capacity, but stay tuned for the livestream link!

Less than a month remains for graduate student and postdoc-led science policy groups to submit applications for funding to the Research!America Civic Engagement microgrant program. This funding will help equip the next generation of scientists with the know-how to interact meaningfully with government officials and community leaders. Contact our Science Outreach Coordinator, Caitlin Grzeskowiak (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)with questions.

From Research!America
June 13, 2019

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
June 13, 2019

Dear Research Advocate,

The House is working to reach its goal of passing all twelve FY20 appropriations bills by the end of June, debating a “minibus” package of four of those bills this week, including the Labor, HHS, and Education funding bill that includes funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Next week, a second “minibus” package of appropriations bills will be on the House Floor, including funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Food andDrug Administration (FDA). (As time goes on without a budget cap resolution, it remains critical to do your part to assure a deal to #RaisetheCaps).

Earlier today the House completed voting on amendments to the Labor, HHS, and Education portion of the minibus. An amendment by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), which we supported strongly(see the letter we shared with every member of the House) was adopted. It would block an additional layer of review - over and above peer review - that the Administration plans to place on extramural fetal tissue research. Although House passage of the amendmentis certainly a win for patients today, several hurdles remain, including Senate adoption. Note: the Pocan amendment does not reverse the ban on further acquisition of fetal tissue within the NIH research intramural program. Read our statement, an Axios article, and contact Eric Anthony at the International Society of Stem Cell Research to join a coalition working to overcome these roadblocks to critical medical progress.

At today’s briefing on the Bayh-Dole Act we heard how critical the 40-year old law has been to technology transfer - the process by which academic discoveries become innovations of value to patients, serving the public good. From 1997 to 2017, tech transfer has supported up to 5.9 million jobs and added up to $865 million to our GDP.

Panelists explained why Bayh-Dole should not be misused as a mechanism to adjudicate drug prices. Bayh-Dole paves the way to medical innovations that patients desperately need.As National Health Council CEO Marc Boutin asserted, it can be thought of as the goose that lays the golden eggs. We need those eggs and we need for them to be accessible and affordable. We shouldn’t pit innovation and affordable access against each other - we need solutions that allow for both. You can access a video of this highly-regarded briefing here. Thank you to our partners: American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association of American Medical Colleges, Association of University Technology Managers, and the Society for Neuroscience.

Speaking of the importance of scientific innovation, the NSF received more than 800 submissions for its competition designed to help set the U.S. agenda for fundamental researchin science and engineering. NSF has completed the first round of judging "Big Ideas" for future federal investment, winnowing the field to 33 entries. Now they’re inviting you to weigh in to help decide which entries will advance to the next stage! You can watch the entrants' video pitches and comment on the "Big Ideas" until June 26.

Next up: Please join Research!America and partners on June 26 for a Capitol Hill briefing to learn about success in improving rural health care through patient-centered research. Register here.

From Research!America
June 6, 2019

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
June 6, 2019

Dear Research Advocate,

In a recent weekly letter, I mentioned that advocacy in support of fetal tissue research continued to be critical, despite the apparent lull in an Administration effort to evaluatehow to curtail/replace this avenue of research. Apparent is the operative word. Yesterday, the Administration announced that an NIH fetal tissue research-related contract with UCSF will not be renewed; intramural researchers at NIH will no longerbe able to procure fetal tissue for research; and another layer of review will be imposed on all those seeking federal funding for fetal tissue research. Read our statement, an Axios article, and, most importantly, contact Eric Anthony (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)at the International Society of Stem Cell Research to join a coalition working to overcome these roadblocks to desperately needed medical progress.

From a research setback to a research accelerator: the Bayh-Dole Act. Why is this nearly 40 year old technology transfer law a research accelerator? Can it do even more to speedprogress? Register Now for a Research!America and partners briefing on the impact and future of Bayh-Dole! Space is going fast for the event, which will be held at AAAS from 9:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 13. It will also be livestreamed. Between now and then, checkout the AUTM Better World Project Database -- a terrific and relevant resource that provides local examples of tech transfer at work.

Whether or not the FY20 appropriations process brakes or accelerates, research depends in part on you. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) recently told reporters he is optimistic that negotiators could reach a deal within the next weekto raise the budget caps. Do not let this moment pass; without a budget deal, deep cuts to science funding are inevitable. Use our advocacy action page to be sure you are counted in favor of raising the caps.

As you know, the House is moving ahead with the appropriations process, even without a caps deal. During consideration of the Agriculture-FDA bill earlier this week, House Appropriators adopted an amendment from Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) that would block FDA from permitting clinical research that involves “germline editing.” This ban, which has been part of Ag appropriations bills since FY16, is not without controversy since it blocks potentially beneficial research, but it also provides time for the authorizing committees in the House and Senate to consider policy options. Optimally, an international framework for modifying these genes will be developed, as the National Academy of Sciences and international partners have called for.

Speaking of international partners in science, the issue of undue foreign influence is much in the research-related news. Yesterday, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the issue, Representatives Jim Langevin (D-PA) and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) introduced the bipartisan Securing American Science and Technology Act (HR3038). According to the press release, the focus of the bill is to promote “standardization of federal agency approaches to academic espionage while maintaining collaboration and a welcoming environment for foreign talent at our institutions of higher education.” Click here if your organization is interested in signing on to the SASTA support letter.

Today, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we salute all our veterans, including the remarkably resilient WWII veterans who are still with us. The Department of Veterans Affairs has been a leader in medical researchthat benefits veterans and non-veterans alike. Here is a new fact sheet to use in your advocacy efforts for VA research programs.

Please join Research!America and partners on June 26, 2019 for a Capitol Hill briefing as we explore advances in patient centered research to improve delivery of care for those living in rural areas. Register here.

From Research!America
May 10, 2019

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
May 10, 2019

Dear Research Advocate,

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill. While there is great news in the bill, it must be considered in the grim context of the across the board cuts that will happen if Congress doesnot act to raise the budget caps. Our statement addresses both the good and bad news.

The bill, which Congressional leadership is expected to bring to the House floor in June, includes more than $8.25 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over $41 billion for the National Institutes of Health, and $358 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Those funding levels amount to increases of, when compared to FY2019, $1 billion for the CDC, $2 billion for the NIH, and $20 million for AHRQ, respectively.

The Senate has yet to begin work on its version and the two chambers will need to come to an agreement after that. But — and, again, this is critical to stress — for any positivefinal outcome to occur, Congress must take action to raise the spending caps across the federal government. Use our action center to weigh in now!

On Wednesday, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee held a hearing at which Dr. France Córdova, Director of NSF, and Dr. Diane Souvaine, Chairwoman of the National Science Board, testified. Dr. Córdova’s opening statement highlighted the “convergence accelerator” – a new initiative focussed on high-risk, high-rewardthinking to accelerate innovation and achieve rapid lab to market outcomes. Dr. Souvaine discussed the need for diversity in STEM, pointing out that America doesn’t lead with dollars alone. We must show aspiring young scientists in this nation and worldwidewhat a healthy research environment looks like.

Also addressing the research environment, the White House National Science and Technology Council announced the formation of a joint committee to address barriers to research in the U.S., including integrity issues, inclusive and equitable settings for research, and the protection of American research assets. Office of Science and Technology Policy(OSTP) Director Kelvin Droegemeier said “Our Nation’s continued global leadership in science and technology depends upon attracting, empowering, and retaining our best and brightest talent...It’s critical we remove any obstacles in the way of the scientists,engineers, and inventors of today and tomorrow, achieving their full potential.”

Research!America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) are partnering on a briefing looking at the future of the Bayh-Dole Act, the landmark law that established a framework for “tech transfer.” Join us on June 13, 2019 for a networking coffee and briefing, starting at 9:30am. The event will also be livestreamed. Contact Sara Chang (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to register.

The Hon. John Porter, Research!America Chair Emeritus and former Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, was Council honored today at NIH. A display case underscoring his legacy was unveiled at the John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center. In saluting Porter, NIH Director Francis Collins noted his extraordinary support for NIH, including securing early pivotal funding for the Human Genome Project. The building truly epitomizes a state of the art environment for research.

Time flies! The deadline to submit a nomination for one of Research!America’s 2020 Advocacy Awards is only one week away! Act now to nominate those you want to recognize for outstanding advocacy leadership. The awards will be presented at our awards event next March.

From Research!America
April 4, 2019

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
April 4, 2019

Dear Research Advocate,

Yesterday, the House Budget Committee approved (on a party-line vote, 19-17) legislation that would raise the fiscal year 2020 (FY20) non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending cap by $631 billion, a 5.7 percent increase over the 2019 cap, and raise the defense cap by $664 billion, a 2.6 percent increase. The House is expected to consider the legislation on the floor early next week.

The fact that legislation to raise the caps is being considered signals important progress. Our science-focused Raise the Caps campaign and other individual and collaborative advocacy efforts like that of NDD United are pushing hard for action, because -- as Senate Appropriations Chair, Richard Shelby (R- AL) warned earlier this week -- failing to act now puts us on the path to “stopgaps” (keep in mind that because of the budget caps, stopgap measures come with deep, across-the-board cuts!)

House Appropriations Chair Nita Lowey is using the #RaiseTheCaps hashtag. The first run of Raise the Caps digital ads in online and print news publications Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Politico, and The Hill garnered nearly 1.7 million impressions! Social media engagement is ramping up as well. Further reach and impact ultimately depends on you; it’s time to act. Here are ways you can help. One particularly important and quick step: sign and share the petition with your networks! Three minutes of your time will make a difference.

As you know, debate over “topline” budget numbers does not preclude the basic appropriations process from moving forward. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Richard Burr (R-NC)are circulating a sign-on letter in support of robust funding for NIH in FY20. If you missed yesterday’s action alert enabling easy outreach to your Senators encouraging them to add their name to this letter, there’s still time! (If you didn’t receive the action alert email, please contact Ellie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll make sure you receive them in the future). Research!America also sent a note to each member of the Senate encouraging their participation.

A new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) makes the case for greatly increased funding for NIH. On Tuesday, April 9, there will be a panel discussion about the report, featuring Research!America board member Dr. Sudip Parikh. More information here.

More on funding: CDC, steward of the US public health system, is dramatically under-resourced considering the weight of its responsibilities and the magnitude of the public health threats we face. It’s National Public Health Week (NPHW)and now is the time to urge your elected representatives to do more to combat our nation’s public health challenges by assuring CDC is fully-funded at $7.8B in fiscal year 2020. Use our CDC fact sheet to make the case!

CDC is one of the key agencies working to combat the opioid crisis. As Research!America board member Alan Leshner so compellingly argued in a recent Science editorial, overcoming this threat will require “science-based, integrated strategies,” combined with a large dose of common sense. Alan describes “the insidious ideology and stigma that have long surrounded the issue of drug use and addiction,” despite the large body of scientific evidence establishing addiction as a medical condition that can be treated.

In past letters, I’ve discussed how important it is for scientists and advocates to play an active role in disempowering misinformation (where the seeds of stigma so oftenlie). At a conference this week, I learned about combating the phenomenon called the “continued influence effect” or CIE, which is the tendency of misinformation to linger, even in the face of facts. Research in CIE shows that we as a science and advocacy community can help guide conversations back to science-based fact and dispel misinformation by offering an alternativenarrative and affirming shared values like fairness and compassion. Check out this National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) resource for insights and inspiration!

From Research!America
October 25, 2018

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
October 25, 2018

Dear Research Advocate,

Last week, the White House laid out its plan for all Cabinet departments to trim their proposed FY20 budgets by 5%. If, as anticipated, these cuts begin with the FY20 spending caps signed into law in 2011 (so-called ‘sequestration’), rather than actual FY19 budgets, the proposed cuts could be shockingly deep—in the 25% range. The potential impact on the NIH budget alone could be a cut of $9.77B, wiping out the increases of the last few years to the point of returning to 2013 funding levels and, when adjusting for inflation, 2001 spending power. Other agencies could take equivalent hits, compromising progress in achieving health goals and sending a clear message to young scientists: find another career.

The President’s budget, as clear as it may be as a statement of executive branch philosophy and priorities, is not binding. It is actually the new Congress that will write the final FY20 budget and determine whether our nation finally ends the twice-suspended excise tax on medical technologies. These are two of the many ways the midterms will influence the future of U.S. R&D. So who will be in the new Congress, with what research-relevant implications? Join the conversation at Research!America’s post-election briefing on Thursday, November 8, 2018 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST at AAAS (1200 New York Ave, NW in Washington, DC). Register here!

Yesterday, the President signed a sweeping, bipartisan opioid package containing dozens of initiatives, including ramped-up efforts to find non-addictive pain treatments. All hands are on deck—including the Department of Energy and the Department of Veterans Affairs, partnering on a project that is deploying a powerful supercomputer to better understand how genes, and networks of genes, may contribute to the risk for substance abuse.

A new research study from the RAND Corporation finds that adolescents who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke cigarettes and more likely to increase their use of both products over time. This report comes on the heels of the FDA’s launch of “The Real Cost” Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign, which aims to educate adolescents, including the 10 million youth ages 12 to 17 who have or are open to using e-cigarettes, about their risks.

Addressing tobacco-related health risks and curbing opioid addiction speak to the diverse and complex challenges public health officials face every day. Please join us in raising awareness on Public Health Thank You Day, which will take place on November 19. Email Matt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to become a partner in this annual event.

A new Pew survey asks individuals to distinguish between factual and opinion statements. Overall, only 26% were able to correctly classify all factual statements as such, and 35% were able to accurately classify all opinion statements. Of interest is that younger people (ages 18-49) perform better than older (50+) at classifying both the factual (32% vs. 20%) and opinion (44% vs. 26%) statements. Clearly, though, these percentages are far, far too low.

Researchers and advocates can help improve these statistics by committing to public engagement, communicating what new scientific findings mean and what inferences can and cannot be drawn from them. Carrying a certain genetic marker, for example, may be just one of several factors that influence the risk of developing a particular disease. A compelling article from the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) offers a clear example of how science can be misinterpreted in a way that is both inaccurate and harmful, and why it is critical to clearly explain the promise and limitations of new research findings and methodologies.

Finally, as you ready your costumes for trick-or-treating, did you know that in 2017, Americans spent $9.1 billion on Halloween? That is enough to fund the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for almost 20 years! Our nation can afford more research for health; check out “Research Takes Cents” on our website for other eye-opening comparisons.

From Research!America
September 5, 2018

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
September 5, 2018

Dear Research Advocate,

Research!America’s annual health research forum, “Straight Talk,” will kick off tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, at 10:15 AM EST at the Newseum in Washington, DC. I am sending this week’s letter a day early to ensure that you have the link to the livestream, since we are at full capacity in the room. Featuring HHS Secretary Alex Azar II and a host of other national leaders in the research and public health arenas, the goal of the forum is to foster candid discussion and seed new thinking around topics that are front and center in research and innovation. Be sure to listen in!

The House returned from August recess yesterday and opted to “fast-track” the Labor-H/Defense spending bills (inclusive of funding for NIH, CDC and AHRQ) by going to conference with the Senate-passed bills. However, it appears that the funding package for State-Foreign Ops/Homeland Security/CJS (where NSF is housed) is mired in controversies around the 2020 census and funding for the border wall. We’ve heard rumors that a CR (“flat-funding”) for these agencies will be rolled into the Labor-H/Defense minibus. Even a limited CR can seriously impact advances in science and innovation, particularly one in which NSF, NASA and other science agencies are affected. Please take a moment to tweet your congressional representatives on the importance of completing all FY19 appropriations on time.

There are many reasons for scientists to engage the public, but if the goal is to increase awareness and support, imparting knowledge may be less compelling than sparking curiosity. That’s the conclusion of a short essay in The Conversation last week. University of Pennsylvania Postdoctoral fellow Matthew Motta reviewed survey data to test this theory, which is supported by other social sciences research, as well. Motta concludes that sparking curiosity to overcome a ‘motivational deficit’ is more determinative of increased public support for science than is providing information to overcome a ‘knowledge deficit.’

Speaking of topics that engage feelings, I hope you’ll mark your calendars now for two upcoming alliance member meetings/calls. On Friday, September 14 at 11:00 AM EST we’ll convene with special guests Joel White and Catherine Pugh from the Health IT Coalition to discuss how to expand access to health data for research purposes. On Thursday, October 11 at 1:00 PM EST we’ll be joined by Rob Smith and Kim Monk of Capital Alpha Partners to review the Trump Administration’s drug pricing proposals, as well as those receiving the most attention in Congress. As usual, we’ll also discuss the state of play on appropriations and other research-relevant issues. More info on both meetings in next week’s letter.

This Friday, September 7, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is partnering with Stand Up To Cancer for its 2018 fundraising special. The telecast, which will begin at 8 PM EST and PST and 7 PM CST, will mark 10 years since the first telecast and showcase a decade of research achievements in the fight against cancer. More on the program can be found here.

AACR is extra-busy this time of year -- next week is the Rally for Medical Research, September 12 and 13. The Rally regularly attracts hundreds of advocates from across the country for meetings on Capitol Hill in support of increased funding for NIH. More info here.

Also coming up soon and also engaging -- on September 13 the annual Golden Goose Award Ceremony will be held. Countering the tendency of some members of Congress to malign research projects based on some “cosmetic” feature rather than their actual significance, these awards honor federally funded research that, at first blush, may seem frivolous, but is actually high impact. More info here.

From Research!America
February 15, 2018

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
February 15, 2018

Dear Research Advocate,

I write tonight’s letter grieving for the Parkside, Florida victims’ families and all those touched by yesterday’s shooting. Americans should feel safe to gather at a concert, go to work, go to school, and live our lives without fear of gun violence. Sadly, as I have noted too many times before, (see this post-Las Vegas weekly letter and statement post Orlando), our nation’s leaders are failing to act. We urge that this time be different.

President Trump has decried the tragedy and announced a trip to Parkside. HHS Secretary Azar asserted before Congress that gun violence research will (finally) go forward again at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Surgeon General Jerome Adams is calling for a cross-sector effort to prevent gun violence. As advocates, our role is to ensure these statements translate into action.

The President’s Budget was released on Monday. Despite language suggesting alignment with last week’s bipartisan deal that raised the budget caps, the president’s proposal instead backtracks, funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) at FY17 levels, dramatically underfunding the CDC (see the relevant editorial from today’s Post and Courier), and neglecting other key health and science agencies. Further, the Administration proposes incorporating the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and several other HHS agencies into NIH, the reasoning behind these changes unclear and the funding insufficient.

When it comes to AHRQ, as I argued in an interview with The Scientist, the proposed organizational change will not help combat our nation’s health and fiscal challenges. If AHRQ were funded at three times its current budget, that would only amount to $3.00 per American per year to identify much needed ways to fix our broken health care delivery system. You can read more in Research!America’s statement on the budget.

One positive element of the president’s proposal is support for heightening the nation’s efforts to address opioid addiction and unmet mental health needs. On this point, he is aligned with public demand and the intent of the Congress. Another bright spot is a robust increase for systems improvements at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As is the norm in recent years, the president’s budget includes a variety of legislative proposals outside the appropriations arena. Among them are several that target federal prescription drug spending. As is also typical of recent budgets, these proposals are extreme in nature (e.g. one-drug-per-class formularies), and are unlikely to gain traction in Congress.

While informative as a statement of Administration priorities, the president’s budget is a proposal, not a mandate. Congress can (and typically does) go its own way.

Research!America sent a letter this week to congressional and appropriations committee leaders thanking them for raising the budget caps and urging them to deploy the resulting funding flexibility in FY18 to speed medical and public health progress. And, consistent with our joint #Raisethecaps ad campaign, we organized a letter from the CEOs of 25 prominent science organizations making the case for greater federal investment in R&D across all the agencies that support and conduct it. Take a moment to reinforce either or both of these complementary asks, using these editable emails.

Today we held a Research!America alliance member meeting to discuss the president’s FY19 budget and other salient advocacy topics. A thank you to special guests from PCORI Greg Martin and Andrew Hu, who provided a terrific overview of the Institute’s exciting work. Alliance members will receive a recap of the meeting shortly.

President’s Day is coming up on Monday. One of those we honor is President Abraham Lincoln, who famously commented that “public sentiment is everything; without it, nothing is possible; with it, anything is possible.” Support for science, like all else, depends upon the good opinion of the public. A new report from the American Academies of Arts and Sciences reviews the current state of public perception. It’s mixed news; check out the findings here.

Please join us as Research!America invites our member organizations to join the Board of Directors for our 2018 Annual Meeting and luncheon on Wednesday, March 14, noon–2:00 p.m. ET in Washington, D.C. The meeting will feature a keynote address by House Science Committee Ranking Member, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and a panel discussion on the latest developments in mental health research.

From Research!America
January 25, 2018

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
January 25, 2018

Dear Research Advocate,

Wake-up news this week: the U.S. has dropped out of the top ten on the list of “innovative countries” (see Bloomberg Innovation Index.) Also: for the first time, China is producing more scientific publications than the U.S. and recently released data from the National Science Board indicate that China is on track to overtake the U.S. in government investment in science research and development in two years or less.

Meanwhile, among budget priorities, U.S. investment in R&D is treated like an afterthought -- with a broken budget system to boot. The fact that critically important government functions are in a “state of suspended animation,” as Ellie put it in a recent Hill article, is an excellent reason to speak out if you have not yet done so, and to speak out again, if you already have (our “How to be an Advocate” page can show you how.)

Here’s a recap of the state of play: the current continuing resolution (CR) flat funds the government until February 8. (Thanks to advocacy, the CR does suspend the medical device tax - a welcome development.) To prevent another shutdown, Congress must either pass another temporary CR or a final budget. In addition to the enormous immigration issues at stake, the debt ceiling showdown may be thrown into the mix as budget decisions are made. So what’s the most likely scenario? My admittedly murky crystal ball predicts that Congress will pass a fifth temporary CR that will raise the caps and increase the debt ceiling, paving the way, finally, for a final FY18 budget. This would be progress, if not yet a resolution.

The Senate has confirmed Alex Azar to become the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. As I mentioned in a previous letter, the new Secretary will be under pressure to address drug prices. If that’s the goal, the best path entails maximizing the return on the health care dollars we spend and defeating the diseases that drive that spending. There is no room anywhere in the healthcare continuum for bad actors who price gouge or in other ways cheat patients and taxpayers, but there is far more room for seeding and incentivizing life- and cost-saving medical (and health care!) innovation.

President Trump has extended the declaration establishing the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency, through April 23. The declaration, however, is not nearly enough. Each day, 116 Americans die from their addiction. Journalist Sam Quinones’ exceptional written testimony to the Senate HELP Committee highlights some of the actions that must be taken to address this crisis, including greater investment in addiction and pain research and expanding the use of medically assisted treatments. As we argue in a January 24 letter to President Trump and congressional leadership, research gaps are a major obstacle to actionable solutions. Consult our opioid addiction fact sheet for more information on the scope of this crisis and the power of research to play a big role in facing it down.

Back to the wake-up call. Is there anything scientists can do to ensure policymakers answer that call? It starts with public engagement! Last week, I visited Sanford Research in Sioux Falls, SD, and the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). What these research institutions have in common includes partnership with Research!America, a track record of excellence in the conduct of innovative research and strong, effective public outreach programs that touch residents of their states in many ways, building relationships, a talent pipeline, and public support for medical and health research.

A researcher at JABSOM told me me he believes his outreach to the non-science public, including elected officials, is a sort of scientific civic responsibility, ‘like jury duty.’ If a K-12 teacher in Hawaii requests a visit for their class or a speaker, JABSOM meets every request. In South Dakota and adjoining states, Sanford delivers quality public outreach, with an extraordinary PROMISE program for K-12 and additional programs for the general public. Their innovative CoRDS program is a rapidly growing international patient registry for all rare diseases.

From Research!America
January 18, 2018

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
January 18, 2018

Dear Research Advocate,

It’s “deja vu all over again” -- the current continuing resolution (CR) is set to expire tomorrow (January 19) at midnight. It may go to the wire, but Congress will likely pass a fourth CR to keep the government running until February 16.

Last year, CRs dragged on and on until May 5! These serial deadlines are increasingly used as leverage by both sides of the aisle to push for legislative priorities, and thus it is increasingly difficult to pass a budget in a timely fashion. Still, a CR is far, far better than a government shutdown, which shortchanges the American public in many ways and can trigger serious and long-lasting effects on public health. Here is a good review of the budget state of play (at least as of this writing) and the implications of a shutdown.

The pending CR includes another two-year suspension of the medical device tax (repeal is still the goal, but a pause is important), as well as additional funding for CHIP and several other key public health programs (thankfully, not paid for by raiding the Prevention and Public Health Fund). However, the bill neither raises the budget caps, nor shores up science funding.Thus the drumbeat of the #RaisetheCaps advocacy and grassroots campaign continues.

The #RaisetheCaps campaign has driven huge social media engagement, with over 1 million impressions on Twitter alone on the first day of the initiative. I remain confident that if stakeholders continue to push for a budget deal that raises the caps, a deal will be struck. The most likely scenario is that higher spending levels will be incorporated into an omnibus bill that is signed into law before the next CR expires. Check out our letter to Congressional Appropriations Leadership reinforcing our agency funding requests for FY18.

It was not so long ago that fighting for higher caps was considered ambitious at best, a fool’s errand at worst. Now policymakers on both sides of the aisle are treating it as unfinished business. Our collective efforts have helped evolve those dynamics. Research!America’s VP of Communications Suzanne Ffolkes addressed the need for heightened advocacy in a relevant Chemical and Engineering News piece. We applaud the work of our advocacy partners, including Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation President Claire Pomeroy’s op-ed on the power of medical research.

Speaking of the power of research, we’re honored to announce that Dr. Atul Gawande, renowned surgeon, public health researcher and prolific author, whose work has vastly lifted the profile of health systems research, will receive the Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion at Research!America’s Advocacy Awards Dinner on March 14. He joins a stellar group of honorees, including former Congressman John Edward Porter. John’s leadership in advocacy for medical, health and scientific research has fueled progress to the profound benefit of patients, their loved ones, and us all. For more details about the event and honorees, please visit www.researchamerica.org/advocacy_awards.

Uncertainty continues regarding changes to the Common Rule, which provides protection of human volunteers participating in research. The regulation effectuating these changes was put on hold during a government wide review of all federal regulatory policies. Subsequently, a number of stakeholders requested a delay in the compliance date to permit the necessary systems changes. There is more to this story, but the bottom line is the Trump Administration delayed both the effective date and the compliance date by six months. There is a possibility that the Administration will pursue additional or different changes to the Common Rule during this period of time, but our understanding is that major revisions are unlikely. Research!America alliance member, the American Medical Informatics Association, released a press statement providing a valuable summary of key changes in the rule. We will continue to monitor developments closely and keep you updated.

From Research!America
December 7, 2017

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
December 7, 2017

Dear Research Advocate,

Today the House and Senate passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to flat-fund the government through December 22. Congressional leaders hope this stop-gap will buy them enough time to negotiate a bipartisan budget deal that raises the Defense and non-Defense (NDD) spending caps. If the budget deal (#RaisetheCaps) is finalized by the 22nd, Congress may well pass yet another short-term CR to allow a month or two to complete an FY18 omnibus spending bill based on the new, higher funding levels.

Continued momentum behind a budget deal is definitely good news, but momentum can wane; here is a new resource, culled from our state-by-state fact sheet series, that provides local examples of research need. How about making use of it to email or Tweet your representatives in Congress in support of a budget deal?

What isn’t good news is the ongoing reliance on CRs, rather than regular order, to keep the government running. One of the many reasons CRs are a bad way of doing business, particularly for grant-making agencies like NIH, AHRQ and NSF, is that they don’t just prevent budget increases (or decreases or re-allocations), they typically bar federal agencies from initiating new activities, even if doing so is the most strategic, pragmatic and cost-efficient path. In the case of NIH, for example, innovative new and promising grant proposals are in limbo, even as scientific opportunity emerges and public health issues shift. Marking time instead of making use of it to advance the best interests of Americans is an egregious form of government waste. (Learn more about CRs here.)

On to the tax package and thus to the rumor mill, which has it that the House-Senate compromise bill or “conference report” will look more like the Senate than the House version of tax reform. As the conferees continue their work, we thought it might be useful to provide a comparison of the two bills, focusing on provisions alliance members have contacted us about. Here’s a side-by-side of those provisions.

Taxation of graduate tuition waivers and other provisions related to higher education appear in the House bill only. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX) is leading a congressional sign-on letter for the House and Senate in opposition to the tuition waiver provision. I encourage you to personalize and send this email to your representatives urging them to join the letter, and/or call their offices first thing in the morning to make the case! The deadline for signing on is tomorrow, December 8th at noon EST, so the sooner you weigh in, the better!

This story about Prathik Naidu, a Stanford freshman selected to present at the Nobel Awards program this weekend, connects to heart and mind about why it’s important not to change the tax code in ways that could block the path to STEM careers for so many young people like Prathik. Squandering young talent, passion, curiosity and determination is too high a price to pay for a nation committed to security, health, prosperity and global leadership.

The medical device tax repeal is not part of the tax reform package, but Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) is reportedly working on a separate, bipartisan agreement that could include another two-year suspension of the medical device tax. A repeal is better than a pause, but a pause is far better than a reinstatement of this counterproductive tax. Write your representatives and ask them to act this year to stop the tax.

From Research!America
November 30, 2017

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
November 30, 2017

Dear Research Advocate,

Congressional leaders have reportedly negotiated a new, two-year budget deal with the White House that would raise the non-defense budget cap by about $37 billion and the defense cap by about $54 billion in FY18, and raise the FY19 caps by the same amounts. With the current continuing resolution (CR) expiring next Friday, December 8, another CR seems all but certain. The question remains whether congressional leaders will: 1) use this CR to give themselves an extra week or two to finish up negotiations on a budget deal and a subsequent omnibus package, or 2) settle on a longer CR that delays budget decisions until January, February or even later next year. A third option -- an unlikely one, thankfully -- is to do nothing and trigger a government shutdown.

The longer the delay in securing a final FY18 appropriations bill, the more our scientific infrastructure suffers as planning and budgeting for the unknown create more and more inefficiencies and waste. Members of Congress must hear from constituents that a deal is of immediate importance to the people they serve. Please take time now to visit our #RaiseTheCaps page to email, call and tweet your members of Congress; and share the page with your friends, family and social media followers.

While we have been pulling all the advocacy levers we can to urge Congress to #RaiseTheCaps, that is not the only high priority item on our year-end advocacy to-do list. Also of importance is repeal of the medical device excise tax, which is set to return in full force on January 1. While it is not included in broader tax reform, congressional leaders are considering attaching the medical device tax repeal to insurance market stabilization legislation or another legislative vehicle likely to receive a vote before year-end.

“The device tax selectively disincentivizes investment in new medical devices,” Ellie Dehoney, VP of Policy and Advocacy, explains in a Morning Consult op-ed, “It is easy to undervalue research and development because it creates potential, not certainty. R&D is not a bird in the hand. But R&D, including the R&D behind new medical devices, gives a fighting chance to [those] facing life-threatening diseases. We undervalue it at their peril.” Weigh in on this issue with your representatives in Congress!

When you boil it down to the basics, it is counterproductive to target a tax such that it discourages activity beneficial to our nation, whether that activity is R&D or higher education. A provision in the House tax reform package would treat graduate school tuition waivers as income. As MIT economics Ph.D. candidate Ryan Hill explains in a recent op-ed, “when the government taxes a good, service or activity, the economy will produce less of it.” Disincentivizing graduate education as countries like China foster it is more than shortsighted, it’s self-destructive. We signed on to a letter spearheaded by AAAS in opposition to the waiver provision; more from AAAS here.

In case you missed statements made by iconic public health leaders like Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Dr. Paul Farmer, and Dr. Georges Benjamin last week for Public Health Thank You Day, we have compiled the full list of quotes. Additionally, we are pleased to share this statement for the record Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) submitted in honor of Public Health Thank You Day. Thanks again (there are never too many!) to our public health workforce, and to all those who joined us last week in celebrating their contribution.

Research!America, in partnership with the Society for Neuroscience, is hosting a webinar, Leveraging Public Opinion in Support of Science, next Monday, December 4, at 1:00 pm EST. The first in a series, this session will discuss public opinion surveys, describe messaging techniques, and draw on experience in crafting compelling narratives. Dr. Christopher Volpe, Executive Director of ScienceCounts, and Dr. Navneet Matharu, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California San Francisco will join me for this discussion. I hope you will, too! Register here.

From Research!America
SeptNovember 16, 2017

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
November 16, 2017

Dear Research Advocate,

Yesterday, a high energy discussion on Advocating for Basic Science in a Disease-Focused World once again revealed the strong appetite for advocacy among scientists, and young scientists in particular. The audience resonated with my point that “you can’t outsource advocacy,” and many were inspired to tweet on the spot.

In case you doubt the impact of scientists engaging in advocacy, consider this: Research!America’s Board Chair, former Congressman (R-DE) and Governor Mike Castle, was recently interviewed by the Society for Neuroscience: “Scientists deepened my understanding of the promise of embryonic stem cell research during a time when there was huge opposition in Congress and the White House for federal support of such research. This interaction led to the development of bipartisan legislation introduced by me and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) in 2005 that expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.”

To drive more bipartisan support for science, and in the process give scientists and friends of science a way to engage in timely advocacy, Research!America and many partners across the broad science community teamed up on a joint print and digital ad campaign to urge Congress to pass a deal that raises the budget caps. The ads were published this week in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Examiner, The Weekly Standard, Politico, and other media outlets. The ads make science much more visible and top of mind as congress weighs key public priorities.

Complementing the #RaisetheCaps ad campaign is a letter making the case for a budget deal from the leaders of science-focused organizations to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his counterparts in congressional leadership. The campaign may be getting the attention of decision-makers: according to an article in The Hill today, there is growing support for a two-year budget deal to raise the caps! Research!America has also made the case in an op-ed in the Huffington Post and an LTE in the St. Louis Post Dispatch; and our partners are active on social media. There is so much power in numbers -- please do your part by taking action now.

Today, the House passed its tax package largely along party lines (227-205); the plan is for the Senate Finance Committee’s tax package to be on floor after Thanksgiving. Research!America signed on to a letter led by AAAS expressing our concern about provisions in the House bill that would have a negative impact on academic researchers, and by extension, on science and all of us. Earlier today, Research!America held a special alliance members meeting with tax experts Robert Bradner, Nicole Elliott and Kathleen Nilles from Holland & Knight to discuss the House and Senate bills and their possible impact on many aspects of R&D. We’ll send a recap shortly!

Tax reform will surely impact future R&D investments. Where those investments stand now, and insights on trends, are addressed in our just-released annual Investment Report. Despite an uptick across sectors, investments in research have been essentially stagnant when viewed as a percentage of total U.S. health spending. Medical and health R&D accounts for less than 5 cents of each health dollar. If we expect to make progress in finding solutions to a growing list of challenges to health and our economy, we have to do better than that. Read more in the new report.

We hosted a stellar briefing on Capitol Hill yesterday, showcasing the power of a well-functioning research continuum working to address Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and underscoring that this high burden, high cost illness simply does not receive the attention it deserves and requires. The briefing was followed by an opportunity for the audience to engage in an exercise (literally) that imparts a sense of what it is like to live with COPD. It proved a powerful awareness and advocacy tool.

Another health threat that receives less attention than it calls for is antibiotic resistance. The White House has announced a renewed commitment to implementing the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. We will soon release (and will share here) a factsheet on this challenge, which poses a significant threat to our children and future generations.

Please join us on social media for Public Health Thank You Day (PHTYD) this coming Monday, November 20th. The outpouring of enthusiasm we’ve witnessed in the four week run up is a preview to what we anticipate on PHTYD: thousands of kudos delivered to the men and women who underpin our nation’s health security. The bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Public Health Caucus, Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Kay Granger (R-TX), Gene Green (D-TX), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), have introduced a PHTYD resolution. Please urge your Representatives to cosponsor by contacting Rep. McGovern’s office at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

From Research!America
November 2017

This is the time for all hands on deck advocacy to assure that the draconian caps on federal discretionary spending are lifted. “Sequestration” budget caps established under the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA) will come back into full force after a partial, two year reprieve. If Congress does not lift the spending caps again, science is in trouble. And that means finding solutions to what ails us, which are dependent on research and innovation, is also in trouble. Our initiative to raise the caps is designed to give you advocacy tools to weigh in with members of Congress to help guarantee they are hearing from their constituents that the status quo is in fact not okay. Read more.

From Research!America
September 21, 2017

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley
September 21, 2017

Dear Research Advocate,

Last Friday, I attended the 2017 Lasker Awards luncheon. The awards program honors the legacy of Mary Lasker, who once crisply noted: “If you think research is expensive, try disease!” I was struck by Lasker Laureate John Schiller’s provocative observation in his acceptance remarks that ensuring the “nurturing stream” of a robust science infrastructure may be more important than celebrating outstanding individual scientists. I take his point and am glad there is room to celebrate both, and it is certainly true to Mary Lasker’s legacy that our community advocates for both -- for the institutions and policies and funding that make science possible, and for the individuals and partnerships that work to give us all better health and quality of life.

One way Research!America drives advocacy is through our public opinion surveys. In a recent survey, we noted that ‘lack of trust’ has become less of a barrier to clinical trial participation, particularly among minority populations. Also, majorities of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and non-Hispanic whites say they would participate in a trial if recommended by their doctor. We must work together to build even more trust and help drive participation in clinical trials among all segments of the population.

An advocate’s work is never done! Despite its proven return to members of our military, their families (who in a very real sense are also members of our military), and taxpayers across the nation, medical research conducted through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) at the Department of Defense (DoD) has been placed at risk by the Senate-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Blunt (R-MO) attempted, but were unable, to block Senator McCain (R-AZ) on this point. A final bill still needs to be conferenced (negotiated) with the House. We need all hands on deck to convince the appointed negotiators or “conferees” to reject the damaging restrictions in the Senate legislation when they craft the final bill. Check out next week’s message for a letter template; we hope you will make use of it to help protect life-saving research!

Very much in the news, the Senate HELP Committee has abandoned an effort to craft a bipartisan bill that would shore up the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the chances are growing that the controversial “Cassidy-Graham” replacement bill will secure enough Republican votes to pass Congress. Cassidy-Graham is controversial for a number of reasons, one of which is that it would repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). Research!America sent a letter to Senate leadership reiterating our opposition to ending this common sense fund. With hurricane season and its numerous public health challenges upon us, it makes far more sense to increase the PPHF than to even contemplate -- much less pursue -- its elimination. Use this 2017 action alert to make your voice heard.

Two good reads: FBR President Matthew Bailey’s Wall Street Journal article on the importance of animal research, framed from the vantage point of pet owners, and an article about speeding medical progress by Dr. Mikael Dolsten, President of Worldwide Research & Development at Pfizer. Dr. Dolsten shares how he has been inspired by the Biden Cancer Moonshot’s goal to achieve ten years of progress in five. Dolsten writes, “In that spirit, I am challenging us all to think about what a decade’s worth of progress in half the time could mean – not just in cancer research, but in battling every single disease that’s plaguing society, and devastating patients and families around the world.” It is a worthy goal; accomplishing it means we all need to push for eliminating barriers to progress and raising more voices and more resources to support research and innovation.

From Research!America
September 6, 2017

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley 
September 6, 2017

Dear Research Advocate,

Earlier today, the Senate Labor-H Appropriations Subcommittee, the jurisdiction of which includes NIH, CDC and AHRQ, passed their FY18 bill out of subcommittee, to be considered by the full committee tomorrow. For the third year in a row, Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) put together a bipartisan bill, and despite difficult budgetary conditions, included a $2 billion increase for NIH. We are hopeful for good news about CDC and AHRQ, too, but we must wait for the bill text to be released to know for sure. Stay tuned.

We truly appreciate the Subcommittee’s ongoing support for NIH. Unfortunately, we have more work to do. All of the appropriations bills making their way through the House and Senate are premised on achieving some kind of budget deal. (The House bills assume a ‘cap-busting’ overall defense budget, and the Senate bills bust both defense and nondefense caps.)

If signed into law without a deal to raise the caps, these appropriations bills would trigger a “sequestration” (in this context, “sequestration” means an across-the-board budget cut. The term is also used to signify a reduction in the budget caps...believe me, I know how confusing this is.) The bottom line is that without a bipartisan budget deal, science funding will at best stagnate, and could well shrink. We can't let that happen.

Congress and the President are reportedly coalescing around the idea of adding a short term continuing resolution (CR) and debt ceiling relief to the Hurricane Harvey emergency supplemental. While this news is still fresh and in flux, I would say the odds are good that Congress will take this path. This approach makes sense given the long list of action items on the agenda for Fall. While a CR is far from ideal, it does provide breathing room for Congress to negotiate a bipartisan budget deal. We have to keep our eye on that ball.

As I write this, Research!America Chairman, Governor Michael Castle, and Research!America Board Member and AAAS President, Dr. Rush Holt, are making the case for a budget deal with key Members of Congress, including Sen. Murray and Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA-15). Join us in fighting for a budget deal by taking part in two digital days of action to #RaiseTheCaps, on September 11 and 12. It’s easy! Here’s how.

As I think about tomorrow’s Forum and the opportunity it presents to engage a diversity of individuals who contribute so meaningfully to research and public health, I am reminded of the thousands of people who continue to bear the brunt of Harvey, and countless others in the path of Irma. It is a privilege to advocate for work that helps people rebuild, literally and figuratively, when times are at their toughest. Thank you for what you do everyday, whether in the path of danger or safe but willing and eager, nonetheless, to help those who are.

From Research!America
August 24, 2017

Letter from Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley 
August 24, 2017

Dear Research Advocate,