Amplify ASHG's Message to Lawmakers

Fri, 08 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This week, ASHG members are holding virtual meetings with Congressional offices. They’re sharing a powerful message: human genetics and genomics research is transforming medicine, strengthening the U.S. workforce, and fueling American scientific leadership.

Now is the perfect moment to add your voice. Lawmakers need to hear directly from you about why this research matters—and how federal investment makes a real difference.

Here’s what we’re emphasizing in meetings this week:

Human genetics research is saving lives: Breakthroughs in genetics and genomics research are enabling earlier diagnoses, more precise treatments, and better prevention strategies for countless diseases.
NIH funding drives the next generation of scientists: Federal investment supports training programs, early-career investigators, and research opportunities that keep the strongest biomedical workforce here in the U.S.
Proposed NIH cuts threaten scientific progress: The President’s Budget Request proposes a 12.2% cut to NIH, threatening grant funding, jobs, and the pace of life-saving research—while weakening our ability to attract and retain top talent.
Investing in research is essential: ASHG is urging Congress to appropriate at least $51.3 billion for NIH and $1.7 billion for ARPA?H in FY 2027.

Take action today. Congress needs to hear from you about how federal research funding supports your work, your institution, your patients, and your community.

Please enter your personal contact information (not your institution’s address) to ensure your message reaches your correct Members of Congress.

We strongly encourage you to personalize your message by sharing how federally funded research impacts your work—or how funding cuts could affect it. If you work at a state university and are not sure if you can act, please check with your institution's federal relations office.

You can also call your elected officials directly through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224?3121.

Together, we can amplify ASHG’s message and make sure Congress understands why sustained federal investment in genetics and genomics research is essential—now and for the future.

Urge Congress to Reject Harmful Research Cuts

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

On April 3, the Trump Administration released the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for FY 2027. The proposal would cut funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by 12.3%, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) by 37%, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) by more than 50%. It also proposes to restructure or eliminate several of NIH’s Institutes and Centers, and would require all grants to be issued as multi-year, forward-funded awards. ASHG is deeply concerned that this proposal would be detrimental to the United States’s research enterprise.

Over the past year, disruptions across the research ecosystem have delayed awards, forced lab closures, eliminated jobs, reduced graduate student positions, and cut funding at institutions nationwide. The proposed changes in the PBR would not only affect current and future researchers but also directly impact patients, families, and clinicians who depend on scientific progress to improve disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

Last year, Congress invested in science and increased the NIH budget rather than enacting the Administration’s proposed steep cuts. Today, we call on members of our community to share how NIH, NSF, and other federal research funding supports your research, patient care, and communities by urging Congress to:

Appropriate at least $51.3 billion for NIH and $1.7 billion for ARPA-H in FY 2027;
Exercise their oversight authority to ensure that any NIH reorganization protects the full spectrum of medical research, including human genetics and genomics; and
Eliminate disruptions, delays, and unnecessary administrative barriers that hinder NIH from swiftly expending appropriated funds on the most meritorious, peer-reviewed research.

These proposed cuts are not final. Congress needs to hear directly from you about the importance of federally funded research and how the proposed policies in the PBR directly affect the states and districts they represent. Join our campaign to protect human genetics and genomics research today!

Please enter your personal contact information (not your institution's address) to ensure that your message is delivered to your correct Member of Congress.

We strongly encourage you to personalize the letter by describing your federally funded research and how it could be or is impacted by funding cuts. If you work at a state university and are not sure if you can act, please check with your institution's federal relations office.

You can also call your elected officials in Washington, DC by calling the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121.

Current Actions

Amplify ASHG's Message to Lawmakers

Urge Congress to Reject Harmful Research Cuts