Advocacy Network Newsletter

Tell Congress to Pass Appropriations for FY2022 and Reject Future CRs

Join your fellow NeuroAdvocates in urging Congress to reject the use of continuing resolutions by passing FY2022 appropriations packages before the end of current funding, February 18. Send your Representative and Senators a message via SfN’s Advocacy Action Center and personalize it by including why predictable funding for biomedical research is important to you. 

Reflecting on a Successful Year for the SfN Advocacy Community

As we enter into a new year, we want to highlight the great work SfN advocates were able to accomplish as they navigated through a challenging 2021. SfN hosted its first ever virtual, multiday Hill Day event where 80 participants held 115 meetings with representatives from 31 states advocating for robust funding for NIH, NSF, and the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program as well as support for the continued ethical use of animals in research. SfN advocates sent nearly 1,000 messages to their Congressional representatives urging them to support a variety of issues related to biomedical research and our largest ECPA class participated in SfN’s inaugural ECPA Congressional Days, hosting 20 Congressional meetings. Moving into 2022, we look forward to hosting the 16th-annual Hill Day event, providing new opportunities for our members to participate in advocacy work, and engaging with our advocates to once again work toward a successful year for biomedical research.

Register Now For The Animals in Research Panel Webinar

SfN is hosting an Animals in Research Panel titled, How to Prepare for, Defend Against, and Recover From Animal Rights Oppositional Efforts on Wednesday, January 19, from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. EST. Working with animals in your research comes with additional oversight, regulation, and the inherent risk of opposition. Come listen and ask questions to our esteemed group of panelists as they discuss their experiences of facing personal attacks and how best to combat them and generate institutional support. Registration is now open to SfN members and those interested in this discussion. We encourage you and your colleagues to attend! 

Urge Congress to Support Biomedical Research Efforts Impacted by COVID-19 

As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged last year, laboratories across the country were forced to shut down and halt research. The impact of these forced closures had widespread and long-term negative consequences for institutions and scientists all over the U.S. The Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, would authorize $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health and $3 billion for the National Science Foundation to support research impacted by COVID-19. Champions in Congress have included the RISE Act in the recently introduced Cures 2.0 Act and the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act. Advocated by SfN members during Hill Day 2021, the RISE Act would be a significant boost for scientists across the country in continuing their biomedical research. Send your Representative and Senators a message via SfN’s Advocacy Action Center urging them to support this legislation.

Past ECPA Sheds Light on The Importance of Science Advocacy

Mary Beth Hall, a member of SfN’s 2021 ECPA class and President of Project Brain Light, recently wrote an article on why it is critical to support science and how to get involved in advocating for biomedical research. Project Brain Light is a graduate student-led outreach organization at the University of Delaware whose mission is to provide students from underrepresented communities with novel, interactive science experiences centered on introductory exposure to neuroscience and STEAM. In Mary Beth’s article, she highlights what advocacy is, different ways for people to get involved, and ideas to get you started when talking to your policy officials about the importance of science. 

• Introduce yourself to the new Congress via the Advocacy Action Center.
• Watch the Neuroscientist’s Guide to Advocacy series to understand the tools you need to help advance the field.
• Learn how to engage your members of Congress and effectively advocate for science with SfN's Advocacy Best Practices.
• Get involved in global advocacy.
• Talk to the public about the importance of animal research.
• Reach out to advocacy@sfn.org for assistance in preparing for your next advocacy effort at home or on Capitol Hill.