March Madness
The annual NCAA basketball tournament, better known as “March Madness,” wraps up this coming week with the Final Four. Bettors this year are expected to wager $4 billion during the tournament. For perspective, that total is almost half of the National Science Foundation’s current budget. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about the fanfare associated with March Madness (did you see the last second of the Duke/UConn game?), but it only takes common ‘cents’ to support science and technology.
Engaging the Heart and Mind: Meanwhile, a different kind of tournament is underway. United for Cures launched Tournament of Voices, a storytelling campaign alongside the NCAA tournament putting a human face on why medical research matters.
Universities with men’s Sweet 16 teams highlighted student-athletes with personal connections to disease or illness, resulting in powerful short videos on the impact of biomedical R&D. I hope you will take a moment to watch and share these affecting stories.
The stakes are high. Axios published an article today outlining the budget fight ahead. Our own Ellie Dehoney is quoted: “It’s not a partisan thing,” she said. “We’ll be out there fighting hard, and luckily, we do have champions on both sides of the aisle.”
If the Tournament of Voices engages the heart, a recent piece in Foreign Affairs by former MIT President Dr. L. Rafael Rief engages the mind. He argues rigorously for U.S. investment in basic research: “China is moving ahead; if the United States fails to correct course, it risks ceding the future to its greatest geopolitical rival.”
On – and Headed to – the Hill: Congress was out of session this week, but committees are lining up hearings with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. following the expected release tomorrow of the administration’s FY27 budget proposal. The House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to hear from Sec. Kennedy on April 16, followed by the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee on April 21.
Authorizing committees will also weigh in, with hearings before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 21 and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on April 22.
We will be submitting questions for the record (QFRs) in advance of these hearings. What is a QFR? Check out our quick backgrounder.
Grant Funding Trends: For use in your advocacy: Research!America alliance member the AAMC has updated its tracker of NIH grant funding, and Grant Witness has developed visualizations showing how research funding is being awarded and obligated (committed for spending) over the course of FY2026 compared to prior years. In both of these sources, the data underscore widely reported delays in the use of dollars appropriated for FY26. While the partial government shutdown explains some of these delays, the gaps are too wide to be fully accounted for by that factor. This brings me right back to QFRs: we will be submitting questions that would not only help clarify the causes of these delays across research and public health agencies, but that explore strategies for avoiding such delays going forward.
Research Spending and More: Our next alliance member-only meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 7, at 11 a.m. ET. We are thrilled to be joined by Nick Bath, Partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. We will dig into the president’s budget if released when expected. Nick is a utility player, so we can discuss plenty of other critical research and public health advocacy issues (e.g., updates on AHRQ, FDA, and CDC will be on the agenda, either way). If you are with an alliance member organization, watch your inbox for registration information. If your organization is interested in learning more about our multi-sector alliance, check out our website or connect with Donald Cook.
Public Witness Testimony and Other Deadlines: A few key deadlines are coming up. The House Labor-HHS Subcommittee (NIH, CDC, AHRQ, BARDA, ARPA-H) is accepting written public witness testimony through April 16, and the CJS Subcommittee (NSF) through May 8. These submissions are a key opportunity to weigh in directly with appropriators on funding priorities. Read Research!America’s testimony for both subcommittees (Labor-HHS and CJS) and check out our Preparing Written Testimony 101 primer for tips if you’re planning to submit your own.
On the Senate side, appropriations guidance is out, with deadlines including April 14 (CJS and Ag-FDA), April 21 (Labor-HHS), and May 12 (Defense). More office-specific deadlines expected soon. As always, our appropriations tracker has the latest.
Visibility of Science: One question that has been a mainstay in our annual commissioned survey is: “Can you name a living scientist?” This year’s findings are revealing. In our January survey, roughly a quarter of Americans (24.5%) said they could, down from about one-third (32.5%) the year before. This illustrates the relative invisibility of scientists in our society. Those who said ‘yes’ to the question were asked to name a scientist. Read our blog to learn more about some of the scientists that were mentioned.
Support Our Advocacy Work: Your support is critical for our advocacy efforts. Research!America is working every day to ensure our nation’s discovery, development, and innovation ecosystem not only survives, but thrives. Your support is crucial to ensuring that medical and public health progress remain a national priority. Donate now.