Member call to action for legislation allows constituents to advocate for policies, stay informed about upcoming changes in the law, and ensure their voice is heard by lawmakers. They are an important tool in our advocacy efforts as legislators need and want to hear from their constituents.
Cuts to NIH Funding
Funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is in danger: the administration has cut $2.7 billion appropriated by Congress in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 for NIH research. The administration proposed a 40% cut to NIH in FY 2026 and a major reorganization of NIH – reducing it from 27 institutes to eight – and has started executing this reorganization without providing proper notice to Congress. Currently, many researchers are unable to draw down funds, and over 2,600 grants have been cancelled outright.
Cuts to NIH and the proposed reorganization will affect all current and future researchers, patients, and clinicians. We are calling on AUGS members to let their members of Congress know how these threats to NIH are affecting their research, patients, communities, and the future research workforce.
In coordination with the Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) we are urging Congress to protect the NIH now and provide the agency with at least $51.303 billion in the next fiscal year. It is imperative that all Senators and Representatives hear from their constituents about the importance of funding NIH. Many congressional offices are not aware how this administration’s policies are affecting their states and constituents. We need Congress to:
- Protect FY 2025 funding for the NIH from impoundments;
- Provide robust funding for the agency in FY 2026; and
- Exercise its oversight authority over any reorganization to ensure that any changes protect the full spectrum of medical research.
Please use this template message to send to your members of Congress asking them to protect NIH funding and to exercise their oversight authority over any reorganization. You can find your representatives here.
Calls to Action:
Volunteer to be a Reviewer: The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) reviews three quarters of all NIH applications and virtually all submitted R01s. Having an increased presence of Urogynecologists serving as reviewers will ensure the development of a more comprehensive knowledge base on Urogynecologic conditions.
Share Your Story: Has your research been impacted by recent legislative changes? The Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) is collecting information on research that has been terminated and its implications. Please submit your story via this google form. Please note that we are asking you to include your name and contact information in case we have any follow up questions. This information will be deidentified before we use it in any advocacy.
Recent Action Alerts
- Contact Your Representative Regarding NIH Funding Indirect Costs
- Tell Your Representative to Co-Sponsor H.R. 10073 and Stop the Medicare Payment Cut!
- Tell Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2024 (H.R. 10073)
- Tell Your Representatives to Oppose Policies That Will Undermine Women’s Health Research at the NIH
- Tell Your Representative to Co-sponsor Legislation to Stop the 3.4% Medicare Payment Cut Before CMS’ Flexibility Runs Out!
