“America has led the world in hard science for the last hundred years. Today is the era of biotechnology. To meet our nation’s potential in the life sciences, we must make a generational investment in the scientists and innovators who will propel our country’s leadership over the next decades.”
Reed Jobs
Founder, Yosemite
“The American Heart Association believes that strong, independent science the foundation of longer, healthier lives. Breakthroughs made possible by the NIH have transformed how we improve heart & brain health, offering patients more time & better quality of life. Sustained, robust federal investment in the NIH, coupled with a commitment to scientific integrity, is essential to ensure research can continue to drive lifesaving innovation. We are proud to stand with the Rally for Medical Research community in urging Congress to protect & strengthen NIH funding so that every person, in every community, can benefit from the promise of science.”
Manesh R. Patel, MD, FAHA
President of the American Heart Association
“As we support scientific discoveries that promote better health and wellness throughout our nation, sustained and elevated funding for biomedical and behavioral research is critical, including at the National Institute of Nursing Research. We are grateful to our nurse scientists who are advancing these evidence-based interventions and leading innovative research that addresses chronic disease management and improves patient care.”
Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, FAAN
President and Chief Executive Officer, American Association of Colleges of Nursing
“Alzheimer’s disease touches millions of families, and every research investment brings us closer to a future where fewer people experience the heartbreak of this devastating disease. That progress is only possible because of sustained investment in the National Institutes of Health, which is helping researchers better understand Alzheimer’s disease, improve early diagnosis, identify opportunities to reduce risk, advance new treatments, and ultimately find a cure. We urge Congress to continue strengthening that commitment so researchers can build on the momentum already changing lives and bring new hope to every family affected by Alzheimer’s.”
Catherine Patterson,Acting Chief Operating Officer, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
“For decades, federal investment in medical research has transformed cancer care and improved the lives of millions of Americans. Research supported through NIH, NCI, and other federal programs has helped advance radiation therapy into one of the most effective and precise cancer treatments available today, allowing physicians to target tumors more accurately while reducing side effects. At a time of unprecedented scientific opportunity, sustained federal support is needed now more than ever to accelerate innovation in radiation therapy and ensure the next generation of breakthroughs reaches patients in every community. ASTRO urges Congress to build on its longstanding bipartisan commitment to medical research by providing robust, predictable funding for NIH, NCI, ARPA-H, CDC, and other vital research programs. Continued investment today will drive the discoveries, treatments, and cures of tomorrow.”
Sameer R. Keole, MD, FASTROBoard Chair, American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
“For patients across every disease community waiting for better treatments and cures, medical research isn’t an abstract investment—it’s a lifeline. Federal investment in the National Institutes of Health makes those breakthroughs possible by supporting the research that leads to new treatments, cures, and longer, healthier lives. The Rally for Medical Research is a reminder that patients cannot afford for progress to stall, and United for Cures is proud to be a champion. Congress must continue its bipartisan commitment to robust, predictable NIH funding so promising discoveries can reach the people who need them most.”
Erika SwardExecutive Director, United for Cures
“We are entering the most promising era in pancreatic cancer research, with progress once thought unimaginable now becoming reality for patients. These breakthroughs did not happen by chance. They are the result of long-term investment in basic science, a strong federal research enterprise, and collaboration across every sector of the biomedical community. The Lustgarten Foundation proudly joins the Rally for Medical Research in urging policymakers to sustain the investment that makes lifesaving discoveries possible.”
Linda TantawiChief Executive Officer, The Lustgarten Foundation
“More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s today, and that number continues to climb. But we are in a different moment than we were even a few years ago — new treatments are slowing the disease for those in its early stages, and researchers are making real progress on earlier detection and prevention. This progress exists because Congress, on a bipartisan basis, has continued to invest in the National Institutes of Health and the scientists working to outpace this disease. That support must continue until a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia is not a vision, but a reality.”
Rachel Conant
Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association and Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM)
“The NIH is more than a funding agency—it is the foundation that allows scientists to pursue discoveries about health and disease that improve and save lives. Many of the treatments we use today began as ideas supported by NIH research grants. Scientific progress is rarely instantaneous but rather rests on years of foundational research, in many instances initially unrelated to the diseases they ultimately treat and prevent. NIH represents the national commitment that breakthrough discoveries require, and ensures our global leadership in health research.”
Mike Lehman, PhDPresident, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
“NIH funding is one of our nation’s most important investments in health and discovery. For decades, federally supported research at medical schools, teaching hospitals and health systems, and other research institutions nationwide has enabled breakthroughs that improve and save lives, turning scientific promise into more accurate diagnoses, better treatments, better outcomes, and hope for patients and families. When we invest in NIH-funded research, we are investing in answers for people facing serious illnesses today and in the medical advances that will improve care for future generations. Sustained support for NIH helps ensure that researchers can continue pursuing lifesaving discoveries, strengthening our nation’s health, innovation, and global
leadership in science.”
David Skorton, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
“This year, an estimated 2.1 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. These cases won’t wait, and neither should our investment in research. The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) represents over 100 leading academic cancer centers working to accelerate progress against cancer. That progress depends on steady, predictable funding increases for the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute. AACI is proud to stand with hundreds of partner organizations in highlighting the urgent need to fund lifesaving discoveries at cancer centers and labs nationwide. The stakes have never been higher.”
Jennifer Pegher, MA, MBA
Executive Director, Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI)
“When this community and our allies in Congress stand together, we make things happen that seemed impossible. In an era of balanced budgets, we doubled spending on medical research. We funded the fight against the opioid epidemic and strengthened mental health parity. We stopped efforts to cut NIH funding or choke off funds already appropriated. And today we bring the same unity, the same relentlessness, and the same commitment to rally for robust NIH funding to find new cures and treatments. When we stand together, we are unstoppable.”
Russ Paulsen
President and Chief Executive Officer, Research!America
“NIH is the nation’s engine for behavioral, biological, and social science research. The agency’s investment in psychological science is essential to improving lives by fueling discoveries that advance physical, mental, and behavioral health, reduce health disparities, strengthen evidence-based care, and help address the nation’s most urgent health challenges.”
Adrienne Stith, PhD
Executive Lead Psychologist for Science, American Psychological Association
“The investments made by the American taxpayer in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have yielded strong dividends across generations. For every dollar of NIH-supported research, an estimated $2.57 is generated in economic activity – fueling innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening communities across the country. Yet the true return on investment cannot be measured in dollars alone. It is reflected in the extra years a grandparent spends with family because of a breakthrough cancer therapy, the hope that comes with a new treatment for a child facing a rare disease, or the countless individuals spared the burden of a debilitating illness through advances in prevention, diagnosis, and care. Weill Cornell Medicine is proud to support the Rally for Medical Research and the public-private partnership that has made the United States the global leader in biomedical innovation. The discoveries of today become the treatments and cures of tomorrow. We must continue to invest in the NIH, accelerate lifesaving breakthroughs, and ensure America remains the world’s leader in biomedical research for generations to come.”
Robert A. Harrington, MD
Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs at Cornell University Weill Cornell Medicine
“Sustained federal funding for the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute fuels the clinical trials and scientific workforce essential to discovering the next generation of therapies, Congress must reaffirm its bipartisan commitment to robust medical research funding to ensure we do not stall the hard-won momentum bringing us closer to curing cancer.”
Robin Zon, MD, FACP, FASCO
Board Chair, Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
“Scientific progress reaches its full potential only when it benefits every patient. NIH funding helps us bring lifesaving advances to rural communities where distance and limited resources can shape outcomes. Continued federal support keeps progress moving so people in small towns and big cities alike have a fair chance at the best possible outcome.”
Roy Jensen, MD
Vice Chancellor and Director, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
“The Rally for Medical Research Hill Day is a powerful reminder that sustained federal investment in research changes lives. For the millions of Americans affected by neurological and psychiatric disorders, continued support for the National Institutes of Health is essential to advancing discoveries, improving treatments, and ultimately preventing and curing diseases of the brain. The brain health community has a critical voice in this conversation, and we are proud to stand alongside the broader medical research community to advocate for robust, sustained funding that drives innovation and offers hope to patients and families nationwide.”
Jennifer French
Board Chair, American Brain Coalition
“Recognizing the connection between health and demography, the National Institutes of Health has developed and sustained the field of population research. With NIH support, population scientists have contributed significant scientific advances in areas such as aging, adolescent health and development, and maternal health, and launched innovative surveys to understand how life course events impact the long-term health and well-being of individuals. The Population Association of America and Association of Population Centers are proud to cosponsor the 2026 Rally for Medical Research and work with our colleagues to impress upon Congress the challenges and opportunities currently facing
the NIH.”
Marcy Carlson, MD
President, Population Association of America
Sarah Burgard, MD
President, Association of Population Centers
“Physiology is the science life depends on. By revealing how the body functions in health and disease, physiology provides the foundation for virtually every medical breakthrough. Sustained federal funding for biomedical research ensures scientists can continue pursuing the discoveries that improve lives, drive innovation and build a healthier future.”
Sue Bodine PhD, FAPS
President, American Physiological Society
“Sustained investment in the National Institutes of Health is vital to robust foundational research that leads to tomorrow’s treatments and cures. The NIH has partnered with America’s research universities for decades to fund research that has saved the lives of millions. Biomedical research drives innovation and economic growth. We urge Congress to provide sustained funding for the NIH and to ensure that the NIH allocates its funding to continue building on its proven track record in foundational science, clinical discoveries, and workforce development.”
Barbara Snyder
President, Association of American Universities
“We have seen so many amazing advances in medicine over the past decade — advanced brain-computer interfaces that translate neural activity into speech; immunotherapy treatments, such as CAR-T cells, to treat cancer; early-detection blood tests and new medications that identify and treat Alzheimer’s disease; expanded genomics; and modern mRNA vaccines and GLP-1 receptor therapies, among many others. They all have two things in common. One, they are already reducing the burden of disease and saving lives, and two, they can all trace their roots to NIH funding. Researchers working in a lab, funded by NIH, took an idea and created knowledge that ultimately helped patients. Where can science go next? What will the next great discovery be? I cannot say for sure, but what I do know is that whatever the advancement is, it will almost certainly owe its development in significant part to NIH support.”
James M. McKiernan, MDInterim Dean, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
Interim Executive Vice President, Health and Biomedical Sciences
Chief Executive Office, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
“Cancer research has shown us what is possible when we make a sustained commitment to science and innovation. For decades, federal investments in the NIH and NCI have helped fuel discoveries and contributed to more than 18 million cancer survivors living in the United States today. The impact of this research is measured not only in scientific breakthroughs but also in extended lives. NCI-supported clinical trials conducted from 1980 to 2020 are estimated to have added 14.2 million years of life for cancer patients. We cannot afford to lose that momentum. Continued investment in cancer research means giving patients and families more options, more hope and more time. This will bring us all closer to a future where cancer is no longer the devastating diagnosis
it is today.”
Lisa A. Lacasse, President
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
“The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center’s mission is to provide access for all New Mexicans to world-class cancer care and the latest cancer clinical trials. Sustained federal investment in basic, translational, and clinical research drives discoveries in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Federal funding also supports the education and training of the next generation of cancer research and healthcare professionals. We are grateful to Congress for its continued support, which strengthens our ability to deliver on our mission of increasing access to the benefits of cancer treatment guided by cutting edge research, to everyone in our state.”
Yolanda (Yoli) Sanchez, MD
Director and Chief Executive Officer, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
“The FDA’s recent approval of daraxonrasib for metastatic pancreatic cancer—
based primarily on Dana-Farber-led research showing significant improvement in overall survival—is a powerful reminder of what sustained investment in cancer research makes possible. This breakthrough is the result of years of federally supported scientific discovery and collaboration that have transformed promising ideas into a treatment that can give patients more time. Patients with cancer, and their families, are counting on science to offer them hope. Robust and predictable federal funding for cancer research is essential to advancing the next generation of drugs and therapies that will
transform patient care.”
Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhDPresident and Chief Executive Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
“Sustained NIH funding is essential to advancing research that improves perioperative care and patient outcomes. Investments in areas such as consciousness, non-opioid pain management, metabolism, immunomodulation, and data science have the potential to deliver transformative benefits for patients and society. Realizing these advances requires consistent and robust NIH support.”
Charles W. Emala, Sr. MS, MD
Board Chair, Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER)
“The NIH funding system underpins all biomedical research in the United States. This system, based on rigorous peer review, evolves over time to meet the country’s health needs. In addition to funding cutting-edge basic science, translational work (including drug discovery), and clinical trials, the NIH supports training and career development of the next generation of scientists. This multi-pronged approach has resulted in the eminent position of US science on the international stage. NIH provides ideas and manpower for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology businesses that translate new findings into human therapies. The commitment of Congress to the NIH is an extremely positive investment in our country’s future.”
Kathryn Meier, PhD, FASPET
President, American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
“Decades of NIH investment have fueled life-changing advances in treatment and care for individuals with blood disorders, from identifying the gene responsible for sickle cell disease to developing CAR-T therapy for blood cancers. This would not have been possible without the critical peer review system that ensures the best research is funded based on scientific merit, not political priorities. While we’re grateful that the dangerous OMB rule was delayed, it is important for both our patients and research that proposals to overhaul the grantmaking process are stopped and that the NIH is fully funded for
future discoveries.”
Robert S. Negrin, MD
President, American Society of Hematology (ASH)
“Basic science research is the foundation of every medical breakthrough, but it rarely attracts private investment because of the risks and timelines involved in translating it into therapies. That’s why sustained NIH funding matters: it supports open-ended inquiry into the principles, mechanisms, and processes that underlie living systems, delivering discoveries today and laying the foundation for tomorrow’s breakthroughs in treating disease.”
Kevin H. Gardner, PhD
Chair, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
“NIH funding transforms scientific promise into lifesaving treatments, earlier diagnoses, and more effective ways to prevent disease. Yet far too many promising research proposals go unfunded, putting potential breakthroughs and hope for patients and families on hold. Robust and predictable Congressional funding sustains America’s global leadership in biomedical research and ensures more families benefit from the discoveries of tomorrow. Patients cannot afford to wait.”
Kate Klimczak
President, ACT for NIH
“Bipartisan investments in cancer research have driven remarkable gains in survival and quality of life for people impacted by cancer. This research fuels the innovation that shapes clinical practice guidelines and transforms how we treat this disease. Despite this progress, our work is far from finished. Now is the time to accelerate that progress so that everyone affected by or at risk for cancer can achieve their best possible outcome. We commend the bipartisan members of Congress leading the charge for continued investment in medical research.”
Crystal S. Denlinger, MD
Chief Executive Officer, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®)
“The U.S. biomedical research ecosystem has been the greatest engine for discovery in service to health the world has ever known. We thank the bipartisan group of lawmakers who have continued to prioritize robust federal support of biomedical research and serve as champions on behalf of their constituents, who also overwhelmingly support this research. Let’s keep the cures coming.”
Sudip Parikh
Chief Executive Officer, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Executive Publisher, Science Journals