At the end of each year, newspapers and news programs often look back at the highs and lows of the past twelve months. When the science community reflects on 2025, a quote from the late Queen Elizabeth II may come to mind.

As she famously said of her own tumultuous 1992, it had been “an annus horribilis.” For the American life science community, 2025 has certainly fit that description.

The year began with funding freezes, the firing of federal employees, program eliminations, and grant terminations. When the White House released its Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal in early 2025, it called for a 40% cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a 56% cut to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Thanks to the tireless advocacy of scientists across the country, those devastating reductions have not made it into the congressional budget drafts.

In fact, both chambers proposed modest funding increases for the NIH, while the Senate offered a small 0.2% increase for the NSF and the House proposed a 22% reduction for the NSF—far less severe than the original White House plan.

This outcome didn’t happen by chance. It was the direct result of thousands of scientists and supporters of science who made their voices heard—by phone, by pen, and by keyboard—urging Congress to protect research funding. ASCB members were among them, responding to seven ASCB advocacy alerts this year on issues ranging from the February funding freeze to proposed visa changes for international students and researchers.

ASCB members in Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania also joined Virtual Capitol Hill Days, meeting with 21 congressional offices to share how federal policies are affecting their research. A planned Hill Day with the Texas delegation had to be cancelled because of the government shutdown. Another Hill Day with the Virginia Congressional delegation was cancelled because the Virginia Congressional offices were overwhelmed helping the thousands of their constituents who were being fired by the White House.

In one example of direct outreach, ASCB member Amy Gladfelter invited two congressional offices to tour her lab in response to an Advocacy Alert. Amy and Ellysa Vogt described the experience in a recent ASCB blog post, A Visit That Restored Our Faith in Science Advocacy.

Members of the ASCB Public Policy Committee also personally contacted colleagues across several states, encouraging them to take part in this critical grassroots effort.

ASCB also joined with three other life science organizations in filing amicus briefs in support of a lawsuit against White House Executive Orders terminating federal grants supporting young scientists. The lawsuit ultimately went to the United States Supreme Court and the four organizations submitted an excellent amicus brief making the strong case for the value of federally funded science.

As difficult as 2025 has been for the American life science community, the status of the FY26 budget process offers reason for optimism. The advocacy work isn’t over yet, but one thing is clear: your voice matters—and it’s making a difference.