On December 4, APA joined nearly 350 organizations in a letter (PDF, 265KB) to President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr., urging recognition that to improve health for all, supporting medical research must be a top national priority. The letter’s signatories urged the appointment of distinguished scientists to critical science advisory and science agency leadership positions, who would have access to the president along with the trust of the scientific community. The organizations also emphasized diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to solving the challenges revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring solutions are guided by the best science.
The organizations specifically called for emergency funding to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and sustain the research supported by efforts to combat the pandemic and prevent the displacement of other areas of non-COVID-19-related research. Lastly, the letter encouraged President-elect Biden to continue to support the investment in the wide-ranging array of biomedical research, including more comprehensive public health research to address the impacts of COVID-19 along with its effect on the research workforce.
For more information, contact Angela L. Sharpe, MG.