Home » Research!America's Weekly Letter » Our Global Leadership at Stake

Our Global Leadership at Stake

Congress is back in Washington, D.C. this week and actively advancing the FY27 appropriations process. The House Appropriations Committee yesterday marked up the FY27 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill, which funds NSF. Watch the recording here. As noted in a previous letter, the House bill would cut the NSF budget by 20%. While that’s an improvement over the president’s proposal of a 54% cut, NSF funding needs to grow, not shrink.

Donut chart titled “Americans Across the Political Spectrum Say It Is Important That the U.S. Be a Leader in S&T.” Subtitle asks, “How important do you think it is that the U.S. is a global leader in science and technology?” The chart shows 54% say “very important,” 38% say “somewhat important,” 5% say “not very important,” and 3% are “not sure.” A category for “not at all important” appears in the legend but is too small to visibly register in the chart. Text and icons beneath the chart note that 94% of Democrats and 94% of Republicans say it is either “very” or “somewhat important,” while 87% of Independents agree. Source: A Research!America poll of U.S. adults conducted in partnership with Zogby Analytics in January 2026. Research!America logo appears in the bottom right corner.We sent this letter to the Senate and House appropriations leaders calling for them to reject the administration’s NSF budget cuts, including the proposed elimination of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate. In a national public opinion survey we commissioned earlier this year, 9 out of 10 Americans said it is important for the U.S. to be a global leader in S&T. At a time when that global leadership is at stake, we need to invest more in NSF and our other research agencies.

Looking ahead, the markup of the House Labor-HHS bill (which funds NIH, ARPA-H, CDC, and BARDA) is currently scheduled for Friday, June 5, at 8 a.m. ET. The bill itself has not yet been released. As always, schedules are subject to change, check the House FY27 markup schedule for updates.

On the Senate side, the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., and several Institute and Center directors to review the president’s budget request for NIH.The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, May 21, in the Senate Dirksen building (Room 124) and can be livestreamed here.

Russ’s Corner

I had the privilege on Tuesday of visiting the office of Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) to formally present her with the 2026 Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy, an award also given to Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). Sen. Britt has been a real champion of medical research within Congress and with the White House. At critical moments that threatened research funding, Sen. Britt interceded.

By presenting this award in person this week, I had the distinct opportunity to reiterate our community’s gratitude for Sen. Britt’s support of American R&D across the health ecosystem. Working together with you, our members, we will continue our efforts on Capitol Hill to not only stand beside the current champions of medical research and innovation, but to cultivate new voices and leaders who will carry this mission forward for years to come.

Russ

Leadership Change: We learned earlier this week that the administration has parted ways with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D. Kyle Diamantas, J.D., who leads the agency’s nutrition and food safety activities, has been named acting director. It is imperative that the administration appoint a new, permanent leader to provide stability to an agency that regulates about one-fifth of the U.S. economy, covering more than $2.8 trillion in consumer spending on food, medical products, and tobacco.

A Discussion with ARPA-H Leadership: Join us to hear from Dr. Alicia Jackson, Director of ARPA-H, on Thursday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to noon ET on Zoom. We’ve asked Dr. Jackson to share her vision and priorities for this important federal agency and provide a brief overview of the current project landscape. This Zoom discussion will be moderated by our President and CEO Russ Paulsen and is open to the public. Register here. (To keep up with ARPA-H funding opportunities, sign up for their newsletter.)

American Cures Act: This week, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) reintroduced the American Cures Act, legislation that would provide 5% real growth (accounting for estimated medical inflation plus an additional 5%) for research supported by the NIH, CDC, DoD, and VA.

Research!America was mentioned in the senator’s press release, with President and CEO Russ Paulsen noting: “Finding cures for Americans requires hard work every year. The American Cures Act provides solid, secure funding for this hard work, without funding rollercoasters. It’s the smart way to ensure progress.”

NIH International Research Partnerships Update: NIH has released updated guidance on the new Collaborative International Research Project (PF5) mechanism, which replaces the previous foreign subaward system and establishes a new pathway for NIH-funded international research collaborations. A recent webinar presentation with additional details is available here.

NINR Listening Session: In partnership with the National Health Council, Research!America is hosting an in-person National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) listening session on Wednesday, May 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET at the Barbara Jordan Conference Center in Washington, D.C. Your input will help shape the future direction of NINR. Register here.

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. Working together, we can make medical research and public health, as well as overall science and technology progress, a higher national priority. Donate now.

Home