New Year, New Momentum
As the Jan. 30 funding deadline approaches, appropriators have reached an agreement on eight of the 12 FY26 spending bills. Today, the Senate passed a bipartisan three-bill “minibus” covering Interior-Environment, Commerce-Justice-Science (which includes NSF), and Energy-Water; the package now heads to the president’s desk. Appropriators aim to release a final package by this weekend for Defense, Transportation-HUD, and Labor-HHS.
In the course of their deliberations, appropriations leadership is deciding whether to include guardrail language addressing NIH’s rapid shift to forward (multi-year) funding. CQ Roll Call recently reported on this issue, quoting Research!America’s Ellie Dehoney. Our team has been reaching out to appropriations leadership to underscore the importance of including this language to help ensure changes to grant funding policies do not result in fewer research awards nationwide.
Take Action: Advocacy is critical. With that in mind, this week’s letter provides several opportunities to act in support of medical and health research, including an action alert, social media day, and more.
National Day of Action: On Jan. 21, United for Cures will host a Day of Action. Add your voice to the roar from advocates speaking up for medical research. Visit United for Cures’ website for more information about getting involved. For quick inspiration and to help make participation as easy as possible, take a look at our social media toolkit. The quotes and stories it features – part of the Americans for Medical Research campaign – can change hearts and minds.
New Momentum: In addition to appropriations, there is new momentum behind other R&D-relevant legislation. A bipartisan package of health bills includes reauthorization of the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher program (see this terrific explainer from the National Organization of Rare Diseases) and the creation of a coverage pathway for multi-cancer screening tests (another great explainer, this one the American Cancer Association Cancer Action Network). Contact Erin Darbouze if you’d like to partner with us on advocacy.
New Survey Results: The Pew Research Center just released recent results from its ongoing survey work focused on trust in science and the value the American public assigns to science. One key takeaway from the survey is that a majority of American adults say colleges and universities make significant contributions to science. Speaking of surveys on Americans’ perceptions of science, Research!America will release our annual national survey results in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
Health Services Research Briefing: Join us Jan. 21, from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET, for our Capitol Hill Briefing on the critical role of Health Services Research (HSR). Expert speakers will detail HSR’s potential to transform health care delivery, enhance value, and achieve the accessible, effective care that American patients need. Register here. Let your networks know about this event! Share our LinkedIn post here or our Instagram post here.
Addressing Advocacy Challenges: Join us Jan. 22, noon to 1 p.m. ET, for an alliance member-only meeting that will cover lots of ground: first, an update on the federal funding and policy landscape and second, a rapid-fire Q&A addressing advocacy challenges our readers have identified.
If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization and have not received an invitation, please email Jacqueline Lagoy.
You’re Invited: Join us on March 10, 4 to 7 p.m. ET, for the 30th annual Research!America Advocacy Awards. The awards honor outstanding advocates for medical and health research and individuals, entities, or partnerships demonstrating commitment to research through discovery, innovation, public communications, and leadership. Register here.