Protect NIH and NSF Funding – Your Voice Is Urgently Needed

In the next six weeks, Congressional committees will decide how much funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) will receive for Fiscal Year 2026. While the White House has proposed devastating cuts to both agencies, these are only proposals. The real decisions rest with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the outcome of those decisions will shape the future of life sciences in the United States.

These committees need to hear directly from you—especially if your Representative or Senator serves on one of them.

Take Action Now

If a member of the Appropriations Committee represents your state, call their office and urge them to protect the NIH and NSF. Explain how research in your state is already being harmed by grant terminations and other recent attacks on science.

Here’s How to Make Your Voice Heard:

1. Find your state’s Appropriations Committee member(s).
2. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to their office.
3. Introduce yourself by name and address to verify you’re a constituent. If you reach voicemail, leave a message with the same details.
4. Be brief but clear. Describe your research field, your funding source (NIH or NSF), and how your work might benefit the public now or in the future, especially any medical or economic impact.
5. Make the ask: Urge them to do all they can to protect the NIH and NSF and oppose any structural changes.
6. Be respectful and courteous. Offer to provide follow-up information if needed. 

Sample Call Script:

“Hello, my name is [Dr. Lynn Wilson], and I live on [Prospect Street] in [North Kingstown, Rhode Island]. I’m a [biomedical researcher at State University], where I study [brief description of your research]. My work is funded by the [NIH/NSF] and is vital because [brief explanation of public benefit].

I’m calling to ask the Senator/Representative, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, to protect the NIH and NSF from drastic funding cuts and to oppose disruptive organizational changes in the FY2026 budget.

These agencies—and the science they enable—have already suffered serious setbacks. Additional cuts would have a devastating impact on life science research across the country.

Please feel free to contact me if I can provide further information.”