2012-10-18

Take Action to Help ASH Fight for NIH Funding

ASH is working hard to let Congress know that sequestration must be averted, but we need your help! Members of Congress are back in their home states/districts until after the November elections, making it an ideal time for constituents to tell policymakers about the impact that potential funding cuts will have on biomedical research and the need for a balanced approach to reducing the deficit that doesn't further cut the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other core federal programs.

Below are links to several grassroots activities ASH has developed to make it easy for you to contact your Members of Congress. Grassroots Network members are strongly encouraged to participate in each of these activities that will not take much time, but it will have a huge impact.

• Take Action Via ASH's On-line Advocacy Campaign – Visit the ASH Advocacy Center to find a sample letter supporting funding for NIH, enter your contact information, and the site will send it directly to your Representative and Senators. Information is also included about how to contact your Senators and Representative via phone.

• Attend and Participate in Town Hall Forums – Find a meeting near you, attend, and participate to tell your candidates what's at stake if NIH funding is reduced in the name of deficit reduction.

• Submit a Letter to the Editor – View tips and a sample letter that you can personalize and submit to your local paper.

• Get Your Patients Involved – If you see or work with patients, encourage them to write to their Representative and Senators to let them know how biomedical research has affected their lives. Encourage them to participate in ASH's patient advocacy campaign and encourage them to write a Letter-to-the-Editor of their local newspaper using ASH's template.

• Tell ASH Your Story – Have a story to tell about how NIH funding affects your career, and your concerns about upcoming cuts to NIH funding for hematology research? Please share it with ASH now. We need your stories to fight for hematology funding.

Visit the ASH website for additional information on these and all of the easy and meaningful actions you can take to make your voice heard.

Legislative & Regulatory News

NIH to Fund Grants at 90 Percent of Committed Level Due to CR
Because the Congress was unable to complete work on the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bills, it passed a continuing resolution (CR), which only funds the government through March 27, 2013. The NIH issued an October 11 notice stating non-competing research grant awards will be funded below the level indicated in the most recent Notice of Award, or "generally up to 90 percent of the previously committed level," until the FY 2013 appropriations are enacted.

Visit the ASH Website for the Latest Federal Hematology Research Grant Opportunities
Drawing together the multitude of hematology-related research grant opportunities that are available through the NIH and other federal agencies, the Society has created a section on the ASH website to simplify the search for requests for blood and blood disease research topics. Among the latest announcements is a notice from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) announcing additional funding and expansion of research objectives for the New Directions in Hematology Research (SHINE-II) (R01).

Opponents of Embryonic Stem Cell Research File Supreme Court Appeal
Plaintiffs seeking to stop the NIH from funding embryonic stem cell research filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on October 11, asking the Court to order the Obama administration and the NIH to stop funding human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. The Court will likely decide whether to take the case before its term ends in June. In the meantime, federal funding will continue to be available for hESC research and additional stem cell lines continue to be approved and added to the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry. Read more.

ASH News

Application Process Open for ASH Bridge Grants
Recent NIH funding cuts have left many R01 grants unfunded; thus, in an attempt to offset this deficit, ASH is offering one-year, $100,000 awards designed to help sustain the research of unfunded R01 grant applicants and contribute to their retention in hematology research. To learn more or to apply, please visit the ASH website. Applications are due January 4, 2013.

Find Out About the Impact of the Elections on Hematology During the Grassroots Network Lunch at the ASH Annual Meeting
Join ASH leaders and colleagues at the ASH Grassroots Network Lunch, Saturday, December 8. The discussion will focus on the results of the November congressional and presidential elections and their impact on hematology.

The Grassroots Network Lunch will be held during the 2012 ASH Annual Meeting in Atlanta on Saturday, December 8, 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., in International Ballroom D of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center.