ASBMB urges Congress, administration to reaffirm support for biomedical research

Freezes, delays and restrictions risk progress on chronic and acute disease, American leadership in science, economic innovation 

ASBMB urges the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration to swiftly reaffirm America’s commitment to sustain federal biomedical research funding and to resume all essential communication within the research community.  

Only with that commitment can the U.S. remain “America First” when it comes to science. These steps are crucial for American families and economies nationwide: America’s research investment powers economic progress in every U.S. state, generating hundreds of thousands of jobs. In all 50 states — from Alabama to California, Utah to Illinois, Wisconsin to Florida — scientific investment drives new hope and economic progress for all Americans.  

Without clear support and funding for the National Institutes of Health and other research agencies, America increasingly risks decades’ worth of scientific leadership, falling behind our competitors. Other nations worldwide recognize that scientific advances are essential for national security, health and economic growth, and they are making major research investments. Falling behind countries such as China in scientific discovery could be disastrous for the country. 

Over the last 50 years, America’s powerful life science leadership has been the driving force in improving and saving American lives. Today, many once-deadly or -disabling conditions are treatable, manageable or even curable. In just the last 20 years, America has led the way to better understand and treat many chronic and acute diseases from cancer to heart disease, mental illness to paralysis, cystic fibrosis to sickle cell disease and so many more. Life sciences have also been central to generating agricultural innovations that create bigger crop yields and herd sizes that lower food prices, as well as provide new fuels that power the nation. We must continue to be leaders in the basic and biomedical science arenas and harness new capacities such has the power of computational biology to yield even more groundbreaking American-led advances. 

Stop and start funding and harmful policies disrupt ongoing research projects, sometimes irreversibly, thus slowing progress today and weakening the nation tomorrow by jeopardizing the training of the next generation of scientists. America’s brightest minds are making hard choices about whether to leave science given uncertain funding and political turmoil. Moreover, the nation’s need for a skilled scientific workforce requires that we identify and support scientific interest and excellence in all communities.  

We urge Congress to swiftly affirm their commitment to sustain research funding and to insist on a return to full, normal communication within the research enterprise. In turn, the scientific community is eager to engage policymakers to evaluate and improve upon research strategies and to inform public policies. With other research organizations, patient groups, and industry leaders ASBMB stands ready as a partner and leading voice in advocating for basic scientific research.