Many Clocks are Ticking
The national elections are less than eight weeks away – now is the time to engage with your candidates on the national and global significance of U.S. R&D, fast-paced medical progress, and rock-solid public health capacity. We encourage you to use Research!America’s candidate engagement toolkit and visit our 2024 elections webpage for inspiration and resources.
On the Hill:
- Appropriations: On an even tighter timeline, members of Congress are focused on passing a continuing resolution (CR) before the Sept. 30 deadline to avoid a government shutdown at fiscal year-end. Research!America sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to avoid a shutdown as well as a long-term continuing resolution, either of which would – among many negative impacts – needlessly slow research. Please don’t hesitate to use our letter as a template for your own. Let us know if we can assist your efforts. In the interim, send or personalize this editable email to push for timely action on FY25 funding.
- Research Security: The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs (HSGAC) Committee has scheduled a mark-up of nine nominations and 35 bills on Sept. 18. Among those bills is S.4667, the “Risky Research Review Act.” It is absolutely appropriate for research agencies and Congress to review current safeguards for compliance and sufficiency. Unfortunately, as currently written, S.4667 could jeopardize federal grant-funded research broadly. We hope you will review the American Society of Microbiology’s press statement on S.4667. As Congress considers this bill and related measures, it is vital for research advocates to offer their expertise in support of the optimal path forward.
Our National Health Research Forum is Next Week! Only a few days left to register for Research!America’s 2024 National Health Research Forum, a two-day convening focused on issues top of mind for R&D ecosystem advocates. Newly announced: we are thrilled that Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell will deliver a keynote address on the first day of the forum!
We will also be welcoming these other federal officials:
- From the Department of Health and Human Services: NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli, FDA Director Robert Califf, CDC Director Mandy Cohen, AHRQ Director Robert Valdez, FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CEBR) Director Peter Marks
- From the Department of Commerce: Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Laurie Locascio
The first day, Sept. 17, will be virtual with the second day, Sept. 18, in person at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Won’t you join us? Register here for the virtual day and here for the in-person day. With great thanks for the generosity of our forum sponsors, there is no charge to attend.
United States of Science: Coming up even sooner is an event at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) that we hope you’ll attend, either in person or virtually:
Nicholas Dirks (NYAS), Dario Gil (IBM and National Science Board chair), Keith Yamamoto (UCSF) and I will participate in a panel discussion, The United States of Science, on Monday, Sept. 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. ET, moderated by Jo Craven McGinty of The Wall Street Journal. We will focus on the challenges facing the scientific community and our nation, including the call for a national S&T vision and plan, a recommendation in the Science and Technology Action Committee’s State of Science in America report.
While the meeting is in New York, join us virtually! NYAS has provided a discount code, 5OFF, for the (already nominal) virtual and in-person registration.
AI, Today and Tomorrow: Artificial intelligence (AI) is integral to discussions about the future of U.S. and global science and technology. Yesterday, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, in a bipartisan effort, approved nine bills addressing various core issues related to AI. There is no doubt AI is changing the face of science & technology, including biomedical R&D, which brings me straight back to our forum: one of the many timely topics we’ll be covering is the intersection between AI and drug development.
Setting the Clock Ahead: ARPA-H is increasing the number of fast-paced, highly ambitious projects that, if successful, will mark major leaps in medical and public health progress. Use our new factsheet and our running list of ARPA-H projects to learn more. (Contact Kristen Furlong if your organization is not yet a member of our alliance and you are interested in learning more.)
DYK: that nearly 10% of the U.S. population will have an eating disorder sometime during their lifetime or that eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness behind opiate addiction? Eating disorders are under-recognized and stigmatized at a staggering individual and societal cost. Join us on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 2 p.m. ET for an alliance discussion featuring Dr. Christine Peat, Director of the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and President of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action. We’ve asked Dr. Peat to discuss progress, achieved and needed, in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. Register to join the conversation.
Stay well, stay safe, and stay connected.