Gratitude
Please join me on Public Health Thank You Day (PHTYD), Monday, Nov. 25, in expressing our appreciation to members of the public health workforce who work tirelessly to promote and protect public health every day of the year, around the clock. This is the 19th year Research!America and other organizations across the country have saluted those who work in public health.
Download our social media toolkit to see all the ways you can say “thank you” and share your posts on Facebook, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn to highlight the value of public health in communities across the country.
Also, check out this inspiring interview featuring a future public health leader from Emory University, who describes why she chose to pursue a public health career, and this video featuring several future public health leaders.
The bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Public Health Caucus, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), are sponsoring a House Resolution recognizing the public health workforce for their dedication and service.
A Public Health Hero: Join us on Dec. 3, at noon ET, for a discussion with Dr. Alfred Sommer, Dean Emeritus, University Distinguished Service Professor, Professor Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the recipient of Research!America’s 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award. In a conversation with fellow Bloomberg School professor Dr. Scott Zeger, Dr. Sommer will share insights from his storied career – as a clinician making the connection between Vitamin A deficiency and childhood mortality to his decade-long leadership as Dean of the Bloomberg School. Dr. Sommer has been a tireless advocate for improving public health – a role model for us all as we honor the public health community on PHTYD. Register here for this special alliance discussion.
The Path to Patient Benefit: Please join our discussion on Dec. 4, at 1:30 p.m. ET, with Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, Veterans Health Administration, and 2025 John Edward Porter Legacy Award recipient. She will share the impact of her research including how health services research is critical in benefitting patients. Register here.
On the Hill: As discussions on completing action on FY25 appropriations legislation continue, it remains uncertain whether Congress will pass an omnibus appropriations bill by Dec. 20, the date the current continuing resolution (CR) expires, or if it will opt to extend the CR deadline into March. While CRs prevent a government shutdown, they come at a cost for scientific and health research, which then becomes a cost to all of us individually and to our nation. Instead of moving forward on new projects and priorities, research gets stuck in limbo, delaying progress on critical work and disrupting the research teams behind it. Check out our new primer on how shutdowns and CRs affect research and public health.
In other news, last week President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS Secretary, and this week he announced Dr. Mehmet Oz as his intended nominee to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We are still awaiting announcements of prospective nominees to other key research agencies. The formal nomination process requiring Senate consideration and confirmation will begin once President-elect Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025.
Future of Research: Our own Jenny Luray, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Public Engagement, will moderate a panel at Elsevier’s inaugural “Tomorrow Today in Research” event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Dec. 5. The free event will bring together leaders from academia, government, and industry to explore changes needed in the culture of research to expand – and better communicate – its impact on society. If interested, register here.
Science Reception: A reception hosted by the Science and Technology Action Committee and the National Science Board will feature leaders of the VAST initiative and other science and technology leaders on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in SD-B48 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET. Register here.
The Value of Your Contributions: At our Post-Election Briefing last week, Research!America Board Chair, Sudip Parikh, CEO of AAAS, spoke about the challenging times ahead:
“It is time for science to get out of its defensive crouch and be the protagonists of our future,” he said. “That means charting a course for research and development that delivers for the American people. And it means conveying the day-in-day-out value R&D delivers to Americans – better health, jobs across every sector of the economy, homeland security, and the list goes on.”
I was inspired by his comments as we continue our efforts toward putting science and technology to work to achieve those goals. We need your help to achieve our shared mission: championing science, technology, discovery, and innovation. As you consider your contributions at year’s end, please make a gift to Research!America.
Happy Thanksgiving To All! As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday next week, my Research!America colleagues and I are thankful for advocates who take the time to speak out for science, from discovery to innovation, and from prevention to cures. Now, more than ever, we are grateful for everything you do.
Next week, we’ll take a break from the Weekly Letter to give thanks with friends and family, but we’ll be back on Dec. 5.