Scientists from across the country came to Washington on May 5th to advocate for increased funding for federal science agencies as part of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology's (FASEB) annual Capitol Hill Day. Led by FASEB President, Dr. Mark Lively, the researchers met with nearly 40 congressional offices and attended breakfast events with two members of the Senate Appropriations Committee where they presented FASEB's FY 2011 recommendations of $37 billion dollars for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and $7.68 billion dollars for the National Science Foundation (NSF). "Fiscal year 2011 is a critical year for science. Our goal is to continue the pipeline of innovative medical and technological advancements," stated Lively.
In addition to visiting members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill, FASEB sent letters to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging them to increase NIH's budget to $37 billion dollars in FY 2011. Lively emphasized how the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) inspired the creative energies of research teams across the nation. "ARRA funding was only appropriated for a two year period, and we face a major shortfall when these funds have been spent. Returning to pre-ARRA funding levels will be a setback for scientific progress, as well as to those suffering from the burdens of disease. It is critical that we invest now to sustain the excitement in research and maximize the return on our prior investments," noted the FASEB President.
FASEB will continue its advocacy throughout the year to press Congress and the Obama Administration to achieve the goal of sustainable funding for research. "This is both an exciting and a challenging time and we look forward to working with our champions on Capitol Hill to ensure that the budget will allow us to take maximum advantage of the expanding opportunities in science," said Lively.
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