ASPET Visits Capitol Hill to Support Science Funding During Unprecedented Time
By Marah Wahbeh, PhD
An ASPET contingent gathered in Washington, D.C. in late February for this year’s Hill Day for meetings with congressional staff on the importance of biomedical and pharmacology research funding. The group, consisting of the 2024–2025 ASPET Washington Fellows, members of ASPET’s Council and Washington Fellows alumni, discussed the crucial need for sustained and predictable federal funding for scientists.
During these meetings, ASPET member representatives specifically highlighted the need to fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to at least $53 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. Further, while acknowledging that it would not be ideal for a year-long continuing resolution, ASPET also asked for a $500 million anomaly for the NIH to be included.
ASPET members discussed the negative impacts of the federal shutdowns, long-term continuing resolutions, and sudden funding policy shifts, such as the NIH Facilities and Administrative (F&A) cost cuts. Overall, the fellows, alumni and council members participated in 25 meetings, 15 in the Senate and 10 in the House with both Democrat and Republican offices of 11 states. Despite this Hill Day coming at an unprecedented time, we at ASPET know that now more than ever, the support for predicted and sustained NIH funding is needed most.
Two of the 2024–2025 fellows, Elena Levi-D’Ancona and Hershey Kondeti, documented their Hill Day experience on ASPET’s LinkedIn. They shared that they had an incredible experience meeting with congressional staff of elected officials to advocate for sustained NIH funding and highlighting the harmful impact of capping F&A costs. They expressed how the opportunity to do so was empowering and rewarding.
Other fellows shared that they really enjoyed putting together their story, learning how to engage with different offices, sharing their work, and the impact of NIH funding on them. As the next generation of scientists and science advocates, the stories the fellows shared with staffers on how NIH funding supports their research and the negative consequences of that funding potentially being taken away, were powerful in showcasing that federal investments in science are tightly linked to the future of healthcare, drug development, and our workforce.
All staffers, regardless of the partisanship of their office, were receptive to hearing stories from constituents and scientists. Many expressed support for NIH and science funding as well as their awareness of the impact of the F&A cost cuts, indicating previous advocacy efforts from scientists on this topic. Some staffers expressed reservations over the federal budget. The fellows emphasized local impact of NIH funding on the institutions in the elected officials’ home states and shared documents to show the direct impact of returns on investment in biomedical research.
If you are interested in participating in future advocacy work with ASPET, contact the government affairs department at publicaffairs@aspet.org.
