NIH Funding
June 24, 2019
The AAAAI joined a broad range of patient and physician groups to express support for the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2019. This Act will ensure essential federal newborn screening programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Health Resources and Services Administration continue for the next five years. Read the letter.
October 16, 2018
The AAAAI joined a broad range of patient, physician, and consumer groups expressing support for the nearly $2 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health in the FY 2020 appropriations process. See the letter.
April 11, 2017
Congressional Letter Urges NIH Funding Increase
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology is pleased to collaborate with the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in advocating that Congress increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by a minimum of $2 billion in funding for FY 2017. This funding is essential to maintain the NIH’s ability to conduct life-saving medical research and training. NIH, and in particular the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are providing vital funding for medical research that could lead to life-improving treatments for individuals suffering from allergies, asthma, immunologic disorders and infectious diseases.
Joint AAAAI and ACAAI Letter Supporting Funding for the National Institutes of Health
Congressional Letter Supporting Funding for the National Institutes of Health
March 16, 2017
Top Allergy Organizations Issue Joint Statement on President Trump's Proposed Budget
The following joint statement was released today by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI).
The AAAAI and ACAAI are gravely concerned about the impact President Trump’s proposed budget, released earlier today, will have on the future of medical research. We call on Congress to reject the proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and instead, build on the commitment made last year to begin increasing spending for medical research.
The President’s budget blueprint recommends significant, largely unspecified, cuts to the budget of the NIH. In total, the proposed reduction would amount to approximately 20 percent of the NIH’s entire budget.
AAAAI President David B. Peden, MD and ACAAI President Stephen A. Tilles, MD said the following upon learning of the proposed cuts:
“Although the budget blueprint released by President Trump earlier today is short on specifics, it is hard to imagine how cuts of this magnitude could be accomplished without doing serious harm to the core mission of the NIH – medical research. Together, we call upon Congress to reject any cuts to the NIH that would decrease the NIH’s ability to conduct life-saving medical research and training.”
NIH, and in particular the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are providing vital funding for medical research that could lead to life-improving treatments for individuals suffering from allergies, asthma, immunologic disorders and infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, emerging and reemerging infectious diseases).
Each year, billions of dollars are spent treating the causes and symptoms of food, drug and skin allergy, immunodeficiency, and asthma. Through the work of NIAID, NHLBI and NIEHS and the research they are funding, we have the opportunity to identify and develop life-saving and life-improving treatments for these widespread chronic conditions.
This past October, NIAID researchers announced promising results from an NIH sponsored clinical trial on the efficacy and value of an intervention for treating children and young adults with peanut allergies. This January, an NIAID-sponsored expert panel issued clinical guidelines to help healthcare providers give parents and caregivers important information on early introduction of peanut-containing foods to infants to prevent the development of peanut allergy. These are the type of results the American people can expect from supporting NIH (NIAID, NHLBI and NIEHS) and their medical research mission.
AAAAI and ACAAI call on Congress to continue its bi-partisan support for the NIH and the NIAID, NHLBI and NIEHS as it completes the 2017 appropriations process and embarks on enacting appropriations bills for fiscal year 2018.
October 15, 2015
Contact Your Representative Regarding NIH Funding
Background: U.S. Congress recently approved a Continuing Resolution to keep the government operating through mid-December. In the coming months, the White House and Congressional leaders will be negotiating terms for a final FY 2016 budget. With regard to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there is a significant gap between what the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have proposed. NIH would receive a $32 billion budget (a $2 billion increase) under the Senate bill and a $1.1 billion increase in the House bill.
Recommended Action: Now would be the time to contact your Representative in the House to ask him or her to support the maximum level of funding for NIH in FY 2016. The AAAAI's Advocacy Committee suggests that you:
• express support for the $32 billion NIH budget provided by the Senate
• ask your Representative to encourage House budget negotiators to agree to this level of funding
• briefly describe the importance of NIH funding to your institution and/or state
• briefly describe the focus of your own research (if you are currently involved in any)
To reach your Representative's office, call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to his or her office. Once connected, ask to speak to the staff person who handles appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services.
If you do not know your Representative's name, you can find it by clicking here.
Electronic communication is less effective, but if you prefer, the website above has links to each Representative's website where you can find email contact information. Please encourage others to contact their Representative in support of an NIH budget increase.
For additional information, contact advocacy@aaaai.org.
The AAAAI will keep you informed as the NIH appropriations process moves forward. Thank you for participating in this effort.