Vote! And Keep Engaging
Election day is less than a week away (please be sure to vote!). To better understand what the election means for federally-funded R&D, register to join us for our Post-Election Briefing. The panel, moderated by PBS NewsHour White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López, will be an in-the-moment discussion about the legislative outlook for science, medical research, and public health next year, and will take place Tuesday, November 15, from 11 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. ET (virtual and in person).
On the Hill: On the must-pass list for the lame-duck Congress is the FY23 omnibus appropriations bill. As you’ll recall, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) in September that funds the federal government at FY22 levels through December 16, including funding for the high priority programs we advocate for: NIH, CDC, FDA, NSF, AHRQ, and others.
There are unpleasant scenarios making the rounds, the worst of which is a two-year long CR that would fund the government at FY22 funding levels through September 30, 2024. It’s clear that stakeholders in research must work harder than ever to ensure funding for our federal research agencies and the government overall truly meets the moment – and is not two years out of date!
We’ve been providing creative ways to advocate in the last few weekly letters…
This Week’s Suggestion: LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly popular “town square” for business professionals, government officials, and advocates alike. We’ve compiled some insights into the best way to craft a LinkedIn post to reach out and advocate effectively and creatively. (Read our tips for Advocacy on LinkedIn 101.)
Take a moment to connect on LinkedIn and share the reasons you advocate for faster medical progress and why that progress depends on funding levels that meet the challenges we face today. Our VP of Policy Ellie Dehoney puts tips into practice in a LinkedIn post of her own, “What if the next pandemic is worse than COVID?” – feel free to repost and borrow ideas.
Public Health Thank You Day: Every year, on the Monday before Thanksgiving, Research!America and leading public health organizations take the time to say “thank you” to our public health workforce who work to protect us from disease, injury, and other health threats.
Then-NIH Director Francis Collins was one of many federal officials and public health leaders who tweeted on #PHTYD last year. As he shared, “I’m sending a big thank you to the everyday heroes who dedicate themselves to protecting the health of their communities. More than ever during #COVID_19, our public health experts are doing everything possible to keep us safe.”
This year’s Public Health Thank You Day will take place on November 21. We invite you to join us in expressing our gratitude for all the dedicated individuals who labor to protect the health of all people and communities. Check out our tool kit for ways to get involved.
Share Input on Pandemic Preparedness: In support of the White House’s recently released National Biodefense Strategy, which aims to bolster our nation’s readiness for future viral threats such as pandemics, the Office of Science & Technology Policy has issued a pair of RFIs, seeking input from the public. Comments are due for both RFIs by December 27.
- RFI on Clinical Research Infrastructure and Emergency Clinical Trials requests input on ensuring “coordinated and large scale clinical trials can be efficiently carried out across a range of institutions and sites to address outbreaks of disease and other emergencies.”
- RFI on Data Collection for Emergency Clinicals Trials and Interoperability Pilot seeks input on viable technical strategies to distribute clinical trial protocols and capture clinical trial data.
Report Makes the Case for Research ROI: A new report from Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) looks at the “Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women’s Health in Lung Cancer,” and makes the case for investment and equity in research funding. The report notes lung cancer is the #1 cause of cancer death in women, and that a $40 million investment in lung cancer research will provide over $600 million in returns to the economy – a more than 12x return on investment. Take a look at the topline findings and read the full report.
ICYMI: Yesterday, Adam Felsenfeld, PhD, Program Director for the Division of Genome Sciences at the National Human Genome Research Institute, spoke to us about the next phase in research on the human genome. It’s called the Molecular Phenotypes of Null Alleles in Cells, or MorPhic, Program at NHGRI. Learn more and watch the recording.
Upcoming Alliance Discussion: For our members, we hope you can join us next Monday, November 7, at 1 p.m. ET for a member-only alliance discussion with Aisling McDonough, Chief of Staff to Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA). Rep. Eshoo is chair of the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Aisling will discuss Chair Eshoo’s priorities for the Subcommittee in the remaining months of 2022 and going forward.