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Contact Your Elected Officials to Increase Federal Funding for NIH Research
On May 7, President Obama released the details of his FY 2010 budget proposal, which includes funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For FY 2010, President Obama has proposed approximately $31 billion in funding for NIH, a 1.4 percent increase over the final FY 2009 funding levels that were enacted in March of this year. Though the President's budget request is simply a starting point for the annual budget process, Congress will begin hearings on the budget request in the near future. With a very tight year expected for the entire federal budget, now is the time to contact your Senators and Representative to generate interest in increasing NIH funding. Early and continued grassroots advocacy is crucial to ensuring adequate funding for NIH in FY 2010. If you have questions, please contact ASH Research Advocacy Manager Tracy Roades at 202-776-0544 or troades@hematology.org.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , As a hematologist interested in research on blood disorders, I write to urge your continued support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by providing an increase in funding of at least 7 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2010. NIH-sponsored research leads to cures, saves lives and fuels our economy. However, in the last several years, Congress has only provided nominal annual increases that have not let the NIH keep pace with biomedical inflation and that have amounted to flat funding for our country's premier biomedical research institutes. This has meant that researchers have not been able to pursue opportunities that could affect the health of all Americans. For hematology, sub-inflationary funding increases at NIH will effectively freeze research resources into cures and treatments for millions of Americans with blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma; bleeding disorders such as hemophilia; clotting problems such as thrombosis; and, genetic disorders such as sickle cell disease, and Cooley's anemia, among others. Hematology research offers enormous promise to better understand, prevent, treat, and cure a number of blood-related and other conditions. However, unless NIH is adequately funded, it will be extremely difficult for hematologists and other health professionals to create research advances. Adequate funding for NIH is crucial to advancing groundbreaking basic, clinical, and translational research. It is critical that our country make this a priority. Again, I urge your continued support of NIH by providing an increase in funding of at least 7 percent for NIH in FY 2010. I appreciate your support. Please contact me if I can provide additional information to you.
Sincerely, |
Campaign Launched: |
| Background Information |
On May 7, President Obama released his FY 2010 budget proposal. For FY 2010, President Obama has proposed approximately $31 billion in funding for NIH, a 1.4 percent increase over the final FY 2009 funding levels that were enacted in March of this year.
Inadequate and unpredictable funding for NIH over the past several years has jeopardized the agency’s ability to sustain the momentum of discovery. Since FY 2003, NIH has lost more than 14 percent of its purchasing power due to federal funding lagging behind the rate of biomedical inflation. The $10 billion provided for NIH in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was a needed first step to reverse the agency’s budget trends and to rebuild the vitality of NIH. The next step is to build on this investment through predictable and sustained long-term growth in NIH funding in the FY 2010 budget and beyond.
The reach of NIH funding provides biomedical research advocates like ASH with a unique opportunity. With NIH grant recipients located in most states and many congressional districts, the chance to build nationwide grassroots support for increased NIH funding is achievable. The first step for ASH is to have its membership explain to their Members of Congress how vital NIH funding is to the medical research enterprise as well as how valuable NIH-sponsored research is to the health and well being of their constituents.
For more specifics about the President's budget recommendations please see the ASH Web site. The President's proposed FY 2010 budget, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) summary, and a detailed summary of the proposed FY 2010 NIH budget, are also available online.
