Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is in serious jeopardy. NIH's inflation-adjusted budget today is almost 20 percent lower than it was in FY2003. In addition, because the Congress was unable to reach agreement on how to reduce the deficit by March 1, President Obama issued an order implementing the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts known as "sequestration."
Under sequestration, the NIH budget will be cut by an additional $1.6 billion over the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2013. While the impact of these cuts may not be felt all at once or immediately, the harm caused to biomedical research will be devastating- progress toward cures for deadly diseases and efforts to prevent costly chronic conditions will be slowed, jobs will be lost, and America's ability to support a medical research enterprise that is capable of taking full advantage of existing and emerging scientific opportunities will be eroded.
These cuts will put an entire generation of young investigators at a greater risk to abandon their careers in research and medicine, much like many highly trained and talented researchers have already done over the past decade because of flat NIH funding.
The Society needs your help to demonstrate the value of biomedical research and the importance of investing in the NIH to your elected officials and the public.
Even more importantly, we need you to spread the word to your colleagues, encouraging them to get involved to help ASH fight for hematology funding.
Ready to help? Here are some quick & easy things that you can do right now:
Questions?
Contact Andrea Slesinski, ASH Communications Manager.
back to top
