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April 2026
Spotlight
Highlights From SfN’s Capitol Hill Day
SfN hosted its 20th annual Capitol Hill Day, bringing 53 NeuroAdvocates together for 73 virtual meetings across 29 states. Participants urged Congress to protect and expand NIH‑funded research, increase federal investment in neuroscience research in FY27, and support the continued ethical and responsible use of animals in biomedical research.
President Releases Budget Request for FY27
The president’s budget request was released last week. The release of the nonbinding request reflects the administration’s policy priorities and marks the official beginning of the federal appropriations process for FY27. SfN coalition partners, including Research!America and the American Brain Coalition, have released statements regarding the budget request.
Across the Field
- Read: Mike Thompson's Brain Awareness Week Statement: Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus, submitted a statement for the Congressional Record in support of Brain Awareness Week.
- Learn More: Brain Awareness Week Proclamations: SfN received proclamations from the Governor of Maryland and Mayor of D.C. officially declaring March 16–20 Brain Awareness Week.
- Explore: NIH Extramural Funding Trends in FY26: The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) released a new data brief and a data dashboard, Tracking NIH Funding, to help the academic medicine community track NIH extramural funding activity during FY26 using publicly available NIH RePORTER data.
- Watch: Federal Funding Webinar: SfN and the American Academy of Neurology held a recent webinar on federal funding. Attendees learned how federal funding works, what happens during a funding lapse or government shutdown, and what they can do to help keep important research moving.
- Watch: NIH Oversight Hearing: NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, testified before the House Appropriations Committee at an oversight hearing and discussed topics including FY26 grant funding.
Stay Up to Date
- Wednesday, May 27–Wednesday, June 10: #SfN26 abstract submission
- Wednesday, July 15: Advance member registration opens at noon EDT.
Saturday, November 14–Wednesday, November 18: Neuroscience 2026 in Washington, D.C.
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