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, December 3. 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. 

ECPA Program Applications Open November 15

Applications open for SfN's Early Career Policy Ambassadors (ECPA) Program Monday, November 15. This 10-month program for early career undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate students, as well as recent PhD/MD recipients, allows NeuroAdvocates to enhance their advocacy skills with the neuroscience community, policymakers, and the public. Applications will be open until January 5.

Washington Post Publishes Opinion Article from SfN Member

The Washington Post has published an opinion article in their Letters to the Editor section titled, “Medical development without animal testing is the goal, but we’re not there yet.” This piece was co-authored by current SfN member and Committee on Animals in Research Chair, Katalin Gothard and Sonnet Jonker, chair of the American Physiological Society’s Animal Care and Experimentation Committee. This opinion piece was in response to previously published op-ed by Kathleen Parker arguing against the mandatory animal testing of new pharmaceuticals before reaching human trials. 

Senate Releases FY2022 Appropriation Bills

The Senate has released the remaining nine appropriation bills for FY2022. The Labor-HHS-Education bill provides $47.9 billion for NIH, including $2.4 billion for the newly proposed ARPA-H, and $640 million for the BRAIN Initiative. This is an increase of $5 billion over FY2021 across all Institutes and Centers. The CJS bill provides $9.49 billion to NSF, a 12% increase over FY2021, including $7.7 billion for research and related activities. Congress must pass all 12 appropriation bills before December 3 to avoid another continuing resolution.

NSF Releases User-Friendly Resource

The NSF has released NSF by the Numbers, a publicly accessible user-intuitive dashboard that provides accurate and relevant information about NSF’s work. It enables users to access statistics such as awards funded, institutions funded, funding rates, proposals evaluated, and award obligations by fiscal year. It also includes the ability to explore these statistics at the state and Congressional district levels.

Research!America Releases Report in Partnership with the Lasker Foundation

In collaboration with the Lasker Foundation, Research!America has published “Then. Now. Imagine. An A-to-Z Look at Diseases, Conditions, and Disorders that Impact Our Lives.” This report provides an overview of 60 diseases and conditions impacting people around the globe, emphasizing the ways in which medical research and innovation has improved outcomes today and holds potential for further progress in the decades ahead.

Apply Now for the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program

Applications are open for the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program. The goal of the Program is to recruit and retain individuals from gender, racial, ethnic, and other groups underrepresented in the life sciences, including those individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Fellows receive funding to support their postdoctoral training and may continue to receive funding during their early career years as independent faculty. Each fellow participates in professional development, mentorship, and networking with their community of peers and the broader HHMI community of scientists across career stages. Applications close December 1.

SfN Advocacy Resources

• 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.