October 2024
2024 ASH Advocacy Leadership Institute Participants Visit Capitol Hill in Support of Public Health Funding and SCD
As part of the 2024 ASH Advocacy Leadership Institute (ALI) on Wednesday, September 25, twenty-five ASH members visited nearly 50 congressional offices on Capitol Hill to urge Members of Congress to support individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) by cosponsoring the Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act (H.R. 7432/S. 5097). ASH members also urged congressional offices to finalize fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations and provide increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Sickle Cell Data Collection Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To learn more about the Society’s advocacy efforts and take action on issues impacting public health and hematology, visit the ASH Advocacy Center.
Access Updated 2024 ASH SCD Research Priorities
ASH has updated its Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Research Priorities, reflecting advancements made over the past five years. These updates will serve as a crucial guide for SCD researchers over the next five years. The research priorities include unaddressed questions and specific research topics that could push toward the goal of curing SCD.
ASH Comments to FDA on Draft Guidance on Diversity Action Plans for Clinical Studies
On September 26, ASH sent comments to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to the draft guidance on Diversity Action Plans to Improve Enrollment of Participants from Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Studies (FDA-2021-D-0789). ASH encouraged the FDA to promote compliance with Diversity Action Plans (DAP) by highlighting tools such as the ASH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Toolkit for Clinical Trial Sponsors and other resources aimed at increasing trial participation from underrepresented individuals. ASH noted that commitment from investigators is essential and encouraged the FDA to clarify requirements for enrollment goals and accountability.
ASH Response to NIH’s RFI on Re-envisioning Postdoc Research Training & Career Progression
On October 22, ASH sent comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in response to the Request for Information (RFI) on Recommendations on Re-envisioning U.S. Postdoctoral Research Training and Career Progression within the Biomedical Research Enterprise. ASH encouraged the NIH to extend the 5 year limit on funding for postdoctoral positions and support postdocs in transitions to other career paths. ASH also opposed limiting K99/R00 to 2 years and suggested a model similar to NCI, with two K99 options, one shorter and one longer. ASH supports more opportunities for postdoctoral scholars and more mentor training for principal investigators working with postdoctoral scholars.
Save the Date for the Grassroots Network Lunch at the 2024 ASH Annual Meeting
Please join us on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 11:15 a.m. (Pacific) for the ASH Grassroots Network Lunch. This informative session provides a forum for interested members to learn how they can participate in ASH’s advocacy efforts, communicate with Congress and their elected officials, become effective advocates for hematology, and hear about the Society’s legislative and regulatory priorities. The featured speaker at this year’s lunch will be Kirk Bado, the Managing Editor of The Hotline, a daily political briefing published by National Journal, a premier research and insights company committed to helping organizations effectively navigate Washington. Mr. Bado will offer his analysis of a changing political landscape in Washington and his insight on the 2024 presidential and congressional elections and the potential impact they will have on hematology and health care advocacy.
This year’s session will take place in Marina Ballroom DE of the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, located next to the San Diego Convention Center. The program will also be streamed on the virtual meeting platform for those participating in the virtual meeting.