Advocacy Network News

Spotlight

SfN Continues to Respond to Federal Policies Impacting Biomedical Research

Check out the latest response from SfN and partners, including statements from Research!America, and the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research on the House FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill. 

House Releases FY26 Appropriations Bill 

The House Appropriations Committee recently released and passed their FY26 bill, proposing $46.9 billion in base funding for NIH, a $99 million increase over FY25 and $200 million lower than the Senate proposed FY26 NIH funding level as well as $195 million for the BRAIN initiative, a $126 million decrease from FY25 and $139.9 million lower than the Senate proposed FY26 BRAIN Initiative funding level. Congress has until September 30 to pass a continuing resolution or face a government shutdown. 

Representative Letlow’s Staff Visits Louisiana State University 

SfN member and former Early Career Policy Ambassador, Ethan Anderson, PhD, hosted Representative Julia Letlow’s (LA-05) staff for a tour of research facilities at Louisiana State University to learn about NIH-funded research at the University. Learn more about how to host your congressional representative for a lab tour.

Advocacy Opportunities

• Use SfN’s advocacy tools, outlined on Neuronline, to engage with fellow NeuroAdvocates as Congress continues through the FY26 appropriations process. 
• SfN is happy to announce our support for and participation in an exciting campaign to educate the public and policymakers about the vital role of NIH. This non-partisan campaign is led by SfN’s coalition partner, Research!America. If you live in Kansas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Utah and have been impacted by NIH funding cuts or budget uncertainty, please reach out to advocacy@sfn.org to get involved in a campaign to place non-partisan stories in local press, radio, TV, and online.  Media training will be provided, and anonymity can be arranged. 
• The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) issued an action alert urging the House of Representatives to reject cuts to NSF funding. 
• Attend the 2025 Rally for Medical Research, Thursday, September 18. Join the conversation on social media using the hashtags #NeuroAdvocate, #RallyMedRes, and #FundNIH.
• Participating in the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research’s Medical Research Month activities and social media campaigns.

Federal News

Courts Issue Rulings on Federal Funding

In late August,the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to move forward in canceling nearly $783 million in NIH research grants tied to DEI initiatives, overturning part of a June ruling by the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. The Supreme Court left intact another part of the lower court’s ruling, which deemed that the internal NIH guidelines used to make the terminations are illegal. The grantees, the court said, could still seek the money but would have to do so in a different court. 

Additionally, a federal judge ruled in favor of Harvard, restoring the $2.2 billion in funds frozen by the Trump Administration. Judge Allison Burroughs revoked the freeze orders and termination letters, stating that they were violating the First Amendment since there was little connection between the research impacted by the freeze and the Trump administration’s justification for the freeze. 

JAG Group Releases FAIR Model on F&A Costs 

Congress has made clear that the current facilities and administrative (F&A) model does not represent a viable approach for the future and that change is coming. The proposed 15% cap on F&A reimbursement in the president’s budget request would be devastating to the research enterprise, leading to major reductions in research discoveries, innovation, and workforce development. The Joint Associations Group (JAG) on Indirect Costs, a confederation of 10 research associations, collaborated to facilitate the development of a new F&A model. The Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) Model enhances transparency and accountability by making explicit the actual costs needed to both perform research and enable its performance. The model accommodates all types and sizes of institutions, all types of research, and supports required federal compliance. JAG proposes a two-year period in which research institutions and federal agencies would prepare to implement the model. JAG asks for support of the FAIR Model and assistance in conveying its value to the research community and Congress.

• Monday, October 6: Deadline for online advance registration for #SfN25.
• Saturday, November 15–Wednesday, November 19: Neuroscience 2025 at the San Diego Convention Center.