Advocacy News from SfN

Reflecting on a Successful Year for the SfN Advocacy Community

NeuroAdvocates accomplished lots of great work in 2023! SfN hosted its 17th annual Hill Day in March, where 40 participants held 72 meetings representing 27 states advocating for robust research funding and support for the ethical and responsible use of animals in research. In July, the 2023 ECPA class participated in SfN’s third annual Congressional Days, hosting 14 meetings to continue sharing SfN’s key legislative priorities and grow as NeuroAdvocates. Additionally, SfN organized the Animals in Research Panel and the Advocacy Forum at Neuroscience 2023. The Advocacy Forum was held as a congressional briefing at the Hill in partnership with the American Brain Coalition and the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus (CNC). CNC co-chairs Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) and Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-08) made remarks during the event.   

Celebrating NeuroAdvocates: A Year of Impact and Gratitude

Throughout the year, NeuroAdvocates sent nearly 500 messages to congressional offices urging them to support and protect neuroscience in FY 24. NeuroAdvocates were a vocal part of the community and successfully made their voices heard: a government shutdown was averted, and the Senate confirmed Monica M. Bertagnolli as the new NIH Director. We want to extend our gratitude as none of this could have been possible without you-our NeuroAdvocates. As we begin 2024, we look forward to hosting the 18th annual SfN Hill Day event, providing new opportunities for our members to participate in advocacy work, and engaging with our advocates to work toward another successful year for neuroscience research.  

Advocacy Across the Field

Urge Congress to Pass FY 24 Appropriations

Send a message to your members of Congress letting them know that it is important they complete full-year appropriations for FY 24 and avoid cuts to research funding. As Congress returns from their holiday recess, they face looming FY 24 appropriations deadlines. The Continuing Resolution (CR) extends government funding to Friday, January 19, for four appropriations bills and Friday, February 2, for the eight remaining bills, including Labor-HHS and CJS. If Congress elects to pass a full-year CR, it could result in a more than $70 billion cut to non-defense spending, which includes biomedical research. It is critical to keep in mind the negative impacts a CR has and why it is imperative Congress complete full-year appropriations for FY 24.

Read a New Article Published on the Risk of Extinction of Long-Tailed Macaques

The American Journal of Primatology published an article by Ray Hilborn and David R. Smith that tackles the question of whether long-tailed macaques are at risk of extinction. This article found that not only is there no data to support a major decline in the abundance of long-tailed macaques, but in actuality, the risk of extinction is low due to the adaptability of long-tailed macaques and rapid population growth.  

NIH’s BRAIN Initiative’s Impact on Neuroscience Research

John Ngai, PhD, director of NIH’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, wrote a blog post highlighting the impact of the BRAIN Initiative on neuroscience research in FY 23. Ngai highlights the BRIAN Initiative, made up of 10 NIH Institutes and Centers, funded over 150 new research projects, totaling more than $220 million in FY 23. Read the blog post to learn more about projects completed under the BRAIN Initiative and their profound impact on neuroscience research.  

SfN Advocacy Resources

• Send a message to your members of Congress using the Advocacy Action Center.
• Watch the Neuroscientist’s Guide to Advocacy series to understand the tools needed to help advance the field.
• Learn how to engage 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.