Join the Online Rally to Fund Medical Research
On Sept. 18 join researchers across the country in urging lawmakers to boost funding for NIH research.
On Thursday, Sept. 18, hundreds of researchers and advocates from around the country – including UCSF PhD students Jasmine Hughes and Emily Berry – will be on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to urge lawmakers to make funding for the National Institutes Of Health (NIH) a national priority.
But you don’t have to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate. Join the online conversation and send a letter to your elected officials with just a few clicks and less than five minutes of your personal time through the Research Means Hope Campaign.
You can urge Congress to restore the federal government’s investment in medical research by finishing what it started and passing the FY 2015 Labor-HHS spending bill now to restore sequestration cuts so that the promise of NIH-sponsored research can be realized.
*Important note: In order to help UCSF meet federal lobbying disclosure rules, please use your personal email and home address for all communications with lawmakers.
Why is Funding Medical Research Important?
Sample Tweets
- Did You Know? @NIH research has contributed to a 50% decline in rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in past 20 yrs https://owl.li/BeX5y
- In 2012, @NIH-funded research supported more than 400,000 jobs across the country. #AAMCresearch https://owl.li/BeX5y
- .@NIH budget has declined more than 22% ($6.1 B) since 2003 after adjusting for inflation. Act now: https://owl.li/BeHF9 #FinishtheJob
Medical research is the beginning of hope for everyone suffering from serious illnesses like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and Parkinson’s disease. To realize fully the hope created by medical research, we must have sustained, predictable real growth in federal support for NIH to fund medical research. Support for NIH today will pay a lifetime of dividends in better health and quality of life for all Americans.
As we know at UCSF – the largest public recipient of NIH research funding – the federal investment pays off. Research funded by NIH has contributed to nearly every medical treatment, diagnostic tool, and medical device developed over the past 65 years. We are all enjoying longer, healthier lives because of the federal government’s support for this life-saving agency. NIH research has contributed to a 60 percent reduction in the death rates for coronary heart disease and stroke and a 30 percent decrease in chronic disability among seniors.
Why is Advocacy Important?
If you don’t stand up for the work you do in research, science or patient care, who will? Elected officials want to hear from their constituents. Don’t stand on the sidelines – educate your lawmakers and social networks about the importance of the federal funded medical research and innovative patient care being conducted at places like UCSF.
If you have any questions or want to get more involved in advocacy, please contact UCSF Federal Government Relations at 202-974-6315 or [email protected]