APA Services joined the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research in welcoming the members of the 119th Congress to Washington (PDF, 124KB)opens in new window. The coalition is made up of patient and voluntary health groups, medical and scientific societies, academic and research organizations, and industry. Its members are committed to enhancing the federal investment in biomedical, behavioral, social, and population-based research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The letter highlights that in addition to “improving patients’ health, a robust, reliable investment in scientific discovery is crucial to strengthening the economy in the near- and long-term and maintaining our nation’s global dominance in medical discoveries. Through NIH, the federal government plays an irreplaceable role in supporting biomedical research that is inherently inefficient for industry to conduct but is essential to inform our fundamental understanding of medicine. More than 80% of the NIH’s budget supports research in all 50 states and Washington, DC, as well as U.S. territories, at medical schools, teaching hospitals, universities, and research institutes, which often are among the largest employers in their respective communities.”
The group invited members of Congress and their staff to consider the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research a resource regarding “our nation’s premier medical research agency.” It emphasized that a robust investment in NIH “would help expand the potential for new cures and other interventions for patients and their families, fully capitalize on scientific opportunity, and ensure that NIH remains the global leader in medical research.”
The administration’s proposed cuts to federal research funding, particularly the drastic reduction in reimbursement for essential research costs associated with NIH grants, severely threaten the advancement of science. This shortsighted decision undermines the vital research conducted by scientists across the country, hindering our ability to advance scientific knowledge and develop effective treatments, diagnostic tools, and preventive interventions for health conditions. This policy jeopardizes the well-being of individuals, families, and communities nationwide who rely on research to improve their lives. You can take action nowopens in new window by asking your members of Congress to stop funding cuts to NIH.
For more information, contact Angela L. Sharpe.