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Advocacy

#Fight4Hematology Action Hub

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As the world’s largest professional society serving clinicians and scientists around the world who are working to conquer blood diseases, ASH is fighting for hematology in the face of executive orders and other federal actions that threaten hematology research and, ultimately, the care of patients.

ASH has created the #Fight4Hematology Action Hub to keep you up-to-date on ASH's efforts and provide four easy ways you can get involved to protect the future of hematology research and advances in patient care. Together, we can drive meaningful change!

Join the Fight

SEE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES

ASH Statement on the Government Shutdown

Despite efforts to fund the government for fiscal year (FY) 2026, Congress could not reach an agreement on a short-term continuing resolution (CR) or final FY 2026 appropriations before the September 30 deadline. This lapse in appropriations triggered a government shutdown, and at this time, it’s unclear when and how Congress will reopen the government.

Read the Full Statement 



ASH Bridge Grant Expansion Funds 25 Promising Biomedical Research Projects

In an effort to counteract federal research funding cuts, ASH has substantially expanded its Bridge Grant program – awarding one-year, $150,000 grants to 25 investigators to keep groundbreaking hematology research moving forward. This year’s Bridge Grant expansion supports five times more researchers than in previous years, reinforcing ASH’s commitment to sustaining innovation and careers in hematology.

Read the Press Release 



ASH Launches Treating Fairly Research Award

Federal funding cuts are affecting research around disparities in hematologic conditions. ASH is supporting these investigators with a new funding program: the Treating Fairly Research Award. This program will lead to better understanding of health outcome gaps and interventions to help all hematology patients.

Learn More and Apply


Voices From the Frontlines

ASH is reaching out to patients, caregivers, clinicians, scientists, and other stakeholders dealing with blood diseases and disorders to learn about their experiences and shed light on the importance of federal programs that either support scientific research or provide access to health care.

Explore the Stories 

Research Saves Lives

Deep cuts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are poised to have a ripple effect on multiple fronts, including local economies, scientific research, the U.S. stature as a global leader, and, significantly, the lives of countless patients.

See the Vital Impact of Medical Research

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Join the Fight

Join the #Fight4Hematology by taking four critical actions. Together, we can protect the future of hematology research and patient care.



Advocacy Toolkit

ASH has created an advocacy toolkit, including fact sheets, infographics, and talking points, to support discussions with legislators, serve as “leave behind” documents after meetings, and enhance written and phone communications.



ASH Advocacy Training Webinar: Your Voice is Needed in These Challenging Times

The webinar highlights ASH’s #Fight4Hematology campaign, shares strategies for effectively engaging with elected officials, outlines ASH’s top policy priorities, and provides tools to help drive real change for hematologists and patients.

“I don’t know if I would still be alive if I hadn’t had access to Medicaid when I needed it.”

Ronisha Edwards-Elliott / Patient advocate living with sickle cell disease (SCD), PhD candidate researching SCD, and a member of the ASH Research Collaborative National Community Advisory Board 
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Share Your Story

Make your voice heard in Congress by sharing how executive orders have impacted hematology research, patient care, and the future of treatment — because your experience can drive meaningful change.


ASH Letter to the Editor Toolkit

This toolkit aims to give hematologists guidance on how to influence policy makers, local leaders, and individuals in their communities through timely and well-written letters published in media outlets. It includes insights on why you would write as a hematologist, how your voice will make a difference, and provides tips and tricks to develop your own letter.

Download the Toolkit    VIEW THE TOOLKIT

#Fight4Hematology PowerPoint Deck

Download our official #Fight4Hematology PowerPoint deck to help amplify your advocacy efforts. This pre-formatted presentation includes campaign branding, key messaging, and slides designed to support your outreach to colleagues, community groups, policymakers, healthcare administrators, or decision-makers.

Download the Deck
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Amplify ASH's Efforts With Your Networks

It’s time to make noise! Use your voice on social media to spread awareness and support for the #Fight4Hematology!

#Fight4Hematology Social Media Toolkit

ASH has developed this social media toolkit to boost engagement in the #Fight4Hematology campaign. Follow the steps below to craft your post with the provided #Fight4Hematology graphics or create your own with a custom Canva template. Share your personal story and inspire both patients and clinicians to do the same. A few sentences can truly make an impact!

Access the Social Media Toolkit

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An infographic displaying the causes and effects of budget cuts, including job losses, decreased research, lower innovation, suffering patients, and waning U.S. leadership, with accompanying icons.

Amplify in Your Network: Research Saves Lives

Deep cuts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are poised to have a ripple effect on multiple fronts, including local economies, scientific research, the U.S. stature as a global leader, and, significantly, the lives of countless patients. View and share this page in your networks to help amplify the impact of NIH and medical research.

See the Vital Impact of Medical Research

Share Our Patient Campaign

Congress needs to hear from patients and patient advocacy groups about funding for medical research. Encourage your patients to send letters directly to their representatives using this easy tool.

Investing in research is not optional; it’s lifesaving. I’m alive today because of advances in stem cell transplants and targeted therapies. Federal programs that support patients, caregivers, and equitable access to care are the backbone of recovery. Every dollar toward science is a vote for survival, for hope, for the future.

Rohan / Patient with acute myeloid leukemia
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Donate

Contribute to the ASH Foundation to support additional ASH Awards to ensure that hematologists can continue their vital research without interruption.

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Support the ASH Foundation

ASH is dedicated to helping hematologists conquer blood diseases worldwide. The ASH Foundation Greatest Needs Fund helps support additional research awards including the Bridge Grant, ensuring ASH members can continue their vital work.

Make A Gift to the ASH Foundation

Let's all be that person who's going to stand up and fight for science, fight for research, fight for hematology, and fight for our patients. 

Belinda R. Avalos, MD / 2025 ASH President

News and Updates

Stay up-to-date on ASH’s advocacy work. Get the latest news, policy developments, and updates affecting the hematology community.

SEE ALL NEWS and UPDATES


Testimony and Correspondence

View formal congressional testimony and correspondence related to issues affecting hematologists and their patients.

ASH Letter to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for September Meeting

Many individuals with hematologic conditions are immunocompromised.  Access to and administration of vaccinations to reduce the risk of life-threatening infections for such hematology patients is essential.

ASH Joins 76 Other Organizations to Urge Congressional Leadership to Finalize the Appropriations Bill, which Protects NIH Funding

This coalition of medical, scientific, public health, and patient advocacy organizations urges Congress to pass a final FY 2026 appropriations bill that provides at least $48.7 billion for the NIH and avoids harmful policy riders. They stress the need for stable, inflation-adjusted funding, protection of NIH’s current structure, rejection of caps on research costs, and reversal of the administration’s forward-funding policy, warning that cuts or disruptions would jeopardize research progress, public health, and the pipeline of future scientists.

ASH Joins AMA Sign-on Letter to Homeland Security re: H-1B Physician Workforce

The undersigned physician organizations representing national medical societies write to strongly urge you to issue clarifying guidance that determines that H-1B physicians entry into the U.S. is in the national interest of the country thereby exempting them from the Proclamation.