2025 was an undeniably tumultuous year for the science community.
A “Dose” of Clarity. Misinformation surrounding medications can have serious consequences for patient care and individual well-being. It perpetuates stigma and distrust around medication use, often delaying treatment initiation and reducing adherence for those who could benefit most.
How to Engage with Science Policy and Advocacy at ASPET. In the December 2025 edition of The Pharmacologist, we reflected on the past year and provided an overview of ASPET’s efforts in helping you advance the science of drug discovery and therapeutics through advocacy. Much of ASPET’s efforts in science policy and advocacy would not be possible without our dedicated member volunteers. Scientists’ engagement with policymakers, who enact policies that influence biomedical research for decades, is necessary. While involvement may seem challenging and time-consuming, active participation in a science society, like ASPET, offers scientists multiple avenues to contribute and shape policy that directly affects the work of pharmacologists.
Year in Review: ASPET’s Government Affairs and Science Policy. 2025 has been a transformative year for the science community. It changed and reshaped much of how we engage with policy and advocacy in ways that will live through the annals of time.
On October 14, 2025, ASPET joined 21 other organizations to participate in the People for Effective and Ethical Research (PEER)’s inaugural Hill Day to educate and speak to Congress about the importance of the ethical use of animals in biomedical research.
Engagement in the Rulemaking Process—ASPET Responds. Rulemaking is the policy-making process for the executive and independent agencies of the federal government. Congress grants rulemaking authority to federal agencies to implement statutory programs through the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The APA describes a set of procedures that agencies are required to follow when creating regulations through the rulemaking process. Within the rulemaking process, federal agencies are required to provide an opportunity for public comment when creating a new rule. Given this, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) often releases notices to update the science community about funding changes, policy changes, and other important information, and requests public comments on such changes through an official Request for Information (RFI).
Why Your Voice Matters: The Power of Advocacy Through In-District Meetings. You do not have to work on Capitol Hill to shape public policy. Some of the most influential conversations happen far from Washington, in local offices, community spaces, research institutions, and spaces where Members of Congress meet with constituents like you.
Separating the Policy from the Noise: Evolving Guidelines on Animal Models and Open Access. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) continues to align its policies with the current Administration’s view on scientific priorities. Two recent NIH policies have been released that have caused an upheaval in an already tumultuous time for science.
ASPET’s Government Affairs and Science Policy Department is making meaningful progress in strengthening the voice of the pharmacologist community in federal policy conversations.
Advocacy highlights from the ASPET 2025 Annual Meeting.
