supplemental funding

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Bringing Science Home

By Mary Woolley on December 17, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, Even as the death toll rises and hospitals are overwhelmed, we can feel optimistic as the first COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized by the FDA is being delivered into the arms of Americans. Some recipients have cried in relief and gratitude. I like thinking about this vaccine metaphorically as a “double shot” – to protect against COVID-19 and as a booster shot in the arm for science. The vaccine truly brings home the value of science. Leading at the FDA : Science has delivered and so has the FDA. We hosted Dr. Peter Marks, the director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) on Monday to discuss the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Transitions and Trust

By Mary Woolley on December 10, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, Last days of 2020 : The deadline for finalizing FY21 legislation and for a supplemental spending bill will almost certainly be delayed until December 18. Delays like these are difficult to countenance. However, the important point is Congress and the White House are now trying to complete FY21 appropriations and the supplemental when they could instead abdicate by passing a long-term CR and – literally for some and figuratively for others – just call it quits. Advocates can’t call it quits either. While two major points of contention reportedly remain – liability protections for business and state and local funding support – there is no way to know for certain what...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Deadlines Drive Action

By Mary Woolley on December 3, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, Lame-Duck Session : Congressional lame-duck sessions can be busy, and the current one is no exception. The appropriations front remains quite fluid – while there were some signs that lawmakers would be able to move an FY21 omnibus funding package before the current Continuing Resolution (CR) expires on December 11, we are once again hearing that another short term CR may be necessary. Meanwhile, after weeks of inaction, there has been movement on the COVID-19 supplemental front. A group of bipartisan lawmakers this week released a $908 billion relief proposal as the basis for renewed negotiations. Will FY21 appropriations and the supplemental finally move forward?...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Let’s Get To Work

By Mary Woolley on November 5, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, The election is yet another way 2020 is testing us like no other year. Let’s pull through by pulling together and putting science to work as never before. The key question for us all, advocates of faster scientific, medical, and public health progress: What can we do today to advance that progress? Gather evidence and speak out . If R&D stakeholders want the next emergency package to include supplemental funding for stalled or reprogrammed research, we need to act now. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said he would like to move a supplemental by the end of the year. Not only is funding needed for federal grants, but COVID has decimated grant...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Trust in Science; Support Science

By Mary Woolley on October 22, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, Deal or No Deal? : House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continue to talk in hopes of clinching a bipartisan agreement on an emergency supplemental. Earlier this week, Research!America sent a letter urging them not to abandon their efforts and to include, in any agreement reached, at least $26 billion to supplement pandemic-eroded research funding. We also tweeted them (you can too!). You can also email your Members of Congress, urging them to voice support for this funding. Advocacy can’t stop now! Immigration Actions Impacting R&D : The Trump Administration, through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has issued proposed...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Will Science Be the Winner?

By Mary Woolley on October 15, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, Physician and author Dr. Alison Escalante wrote in Forbes this week: “According to [a survey commissioned by Research!America], a strong majority of Americans agree that ‘the Covid-19 pandemic is a disruptive event and requires urgent refocusing of America’s commitment to science.’” Results from the survey were also featured in The Aspen Institute’s Science & Society publication released today. See the survey here . You can use the survey data to act on behalf of science right now! Visit www.VoteScienceStrong.com to engage with candidates on the strategic significance of R&D and the multi-faceted benefits of faster medical and public health progress. Use #...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Solving Problems to Benefit Us All

By Mary Woolley on October 8, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, This week we congratulate the winners of the Nobel prizes, celebrating achievements and solving problems that benefit us all. In our statement , we underscore the importance of federal taxpayer funding for basic research, making the extraordinary work of the Laureates possible. I’ve long admired the way the Nobel Foundation captures the essence of the Laureates’ contributions, exemplifying as they do the very best in persuasive writing . (For those like me who are aficionados of the power of the written word, this linked blog post provides keen insights on the rhetorical reasons why the Nobel Foundation is – and all of us can become – a model of writing that wins...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Put Science to Work

By Mary Woolley on October 1, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, This morning, we sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urging them to reach a deal on an emergency spending package that includes $26B for research relief. As my colleague Ellie Dehoney said in Bloomberg, medical progress has “easily been set back a year.” Unfortunately, as of this writing, the situation looks grave. Speaker Pelosi had delayed a vote on a slimmed-down version of the HEROES Act referred to as “HEROES 2.0” in the hopes of a bipartisan emergency spending agreement. Now an agreement appears unlikely. Stabilizing our nation’s research ecosystem is essential to driving medical progress and innovation...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Vote Science Strong

By Mary Woolley on September 24, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, How to Fight for the Future : Ruth Bader Ginsburg lived her life fearlessly. She refused to let the present dictate the future. Her dogged persistence in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and her sense of civic responsibility transcended ideology. Regardless of the chain of events her death triggered, our nation would be well served by channeling Justice Ginsburg’s fierce commitment to societal progress as we confront a confluence of daunting national and global challenges. So what can research advocates do? The following thoughts are suggestive, not exhaustive! Make the Case : The American Academy of Arts and Sciences will release a report next week, “...

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: The Clock is Winding Down

By Mary Woolley on September 17, 2020

Dear Research Advocate, If you weren’t able to join us for the National Health Research Forum, you can watch the recordings from the Forum platform . The popular short videos from federal officials, members of Congress, and leaders from across the research and public health ecosystem are posted on our YouTube channel , where all the recordings will soon appear. CNN, C-SPAN, and PBS (among other media outlets) covered several sessions; watch them here now: Secretary of HHS Alex M. Azar, II interviewed by Susan Dentzer Anthony Fauci, MD interviewed by Judy Woodruff ADM Brett Giroir, MD , interviewed by Sanjay Gupta, MD Robert Redfield, MD interviewed by Frank Sesno Vaccine Development: Are we...

supplemental funding

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Bringing Science Home

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Transitions and Trust

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Deadlines Drive Action

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Let’s Get To Work

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Trust in Science; Support Science

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Will Science Be the Winner?

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Solving Problems to Benefit Us All

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Put Science to Work

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Vote Science Strong

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: The Clock is Winding Down

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