September 18, 2024
ABRF members,
ABRF will join over 350 organizations for the Rally for Medical Research on Thursday, September 19, to meet with members of Congress and engage in grassroots activities to urge them to continue to make funding for NIH a national priority.
Specifically, Rally participants will be making the case for $51.3 billion for NIH in FY 2025.
Here are some model messages you can share with your members of Congress, your wider networks, and through social media:
Sample Action Alert Email/Letter
Dear Senator/Representative [Last Name]:
I applaud you and your colleagues in Congress for working in a bipartisan fashion to provide strong funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the last eight years. I am writing to respectfully request that you continue the momentum of robust, sustained, and predictable funding growth by supporting a FY 2025 spending bill that provides the highest possible increase to the NIH base budget in FY 2025. I urge you to provide the highest possible increase for NIH in FY 2025. The medical research community has recommended at least $51.3 billion and urges Congress to appropriate the highest possible increase for the NIH's base program level for FY 2025. I also ask that you urge House and Senate leadership to complete work on the FY 2025 spending bill as quickly as possible to avoid the delays and disruptions caused by continuing resolutions.
NIH-funded research means hope for millions of patients and their families who are affected by hundreds of diseases. Robust, predictable, and sustained funding for NIH is an investment necessary to pursue our nation's commitment to lifesaving treatments and sustain our nation's global leadership in medical research. Investments in NIH also spur economic growth in communities across the medical research enterprise and across the nation by supporting jobs in universities, medical schools, drug manufacturers, and the thousands of businesses large and small that support them. In FY 2023 alone, NIH research contributed to more than $92 billion in new economic activity and more than 412,000 jobs. We live in an extraordinary time when the scientific opportunities are limitless and our ability to translate new knowledge to both save and improve the quality of life of patients is simply astounding. In fact, we have never been better positioned to seize the unprecedented opportunities to bring hope to millions of patients and their loved ones everywhere. On behalf of millions of patients, survivors, and their loved ones, I call upon you and your colleagues to work in a bipartisan manner to support the highest possible increase to the NIH base budget in FY 2025. Thank you for considering my views.
Sincerely, [Your Name]
Social Media:
On X/Twitter, please use the hashtag #RallyMedRes and #FundNIH. Remember, these posts are helpful to not only mobilize your network and promote the Rally, but posts can also gain the attention of policymakers as they see their handles appear in several posts.
Below are sample posts to consider:
• Dear [@CongressMember], please invest in the @NIH for the health & economic security of our nation. RallyForMedicalResearch.org #RallyMedRes #FundNIH
• Research means hope! Join the 12th Annual #RallyMedRes from anywhere in the US by participating in the National Day of Action at Rallyformedicalresearch.org
• Thanks [@CongressMember] for your commitment to medical research! Grateful to have your support for @NIH funding. #RallyMedRes #FundNIH
• #NIH research is the basis for countless treatments, therapies, and cures. Sustained, predictable funding growth ensures that we can continue to provide hope for millions of patients battling life-threatening and chronic conditions. #RallyMedRes #FundNIH
• Today's science could lead to a breakthrough treatment for a chronic or life-threatening condition that affects millions. To deliver on that promise we need sustained, predictable funding for @NIH. #RallyMedRes #FundNIH
Take a few minutes to share these messages and ensure that ABRF's voice is heard on this vital issue.
Thank you for your support.
Ken Schoppmann, CAE
Executive Director
ABRF
ken.schoppmann@abrf.org
