Federal Science Funding

AWIS urges Congress to finalize appropriations of the funds earmarked by the CHIPS and Science Act, fully fund scientific research and education, and enact the Vision for American Science and Technology.

Is America falling behind?

According to the Vision for American Science and Technology, American K-12 students trail those from other advanced economies in global mathematics and science assessments. China has overtaken the US in awarding science and engineering doctorates, patents, and R&D investment. Recent policy changes are causing U.S. scientists to look for employment abroad.

More than ever before, other nations rival the U.S. in talent, infrastructure, and capital investment which threatens the foundation of America’s global leadership and puts the nation’s economic prosperity and national security at risk. We must work to:

Attract more Americans, especially women, into STEM fields
Cultivate inclusive and equitable STEMM workspaces to retain women in STEM
Incentivize private sector investment in upskilling employees
Keep U.S. educated international talent here
Recruit top talent from overseas
Invest strategically in fundamental discovery research, applied research, and research infrastructure

Science funding fuels the economy.

Research from the Institute for Macroeconomic and Policy Analysis estimates that the proposed budget cuts to public R&D would significantly hurt the U.S. economy in the long run:

Reduce GDP by an amount comparable to the decline in GDP during the Great Recession
Make the average American approximately $10,000 poorer (in today’s dollars)
Decrease federal government revenue by approximately 4.3 to 8.6 percent annually

The CHIPS and Science Act was passed in 2022 — with bipartisan support — to invest $280 billion in scientific research and development over a 10-year period, bring manufacturing of semiconductor chips to U.S. soil, and develop the STEM workforce — all of which would stimulate the U.S. economy. Only a portion of these funds have been allocated by Congress.

According to Research!America data, 92% of the public wants the president and Congress to deliver faster medical progress.

NIH funded research improves health and saves lives.

In 2019 alone, research conducted at AAMC-member medical schools and teaching hospitals and health systems generated $33 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) and 348,000 jobs. Additionally, NIH funding has contributed to:

Almost 3.8 million lives saved by cancer research since 1991
A 56% decrease in the rate of heart attack deaths per 100,000 people between 1999 and 2020
All 356 new FDA-approved drugs from 2010 to 2019
488 clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
A 90% decrease in the number of children perinatally infected with HIV
cell-based gene therapies for treatment of sickle cell disease
immunotherapies for lung cancer and leukemia
ways to determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy on breast cancer
advancements in cochlear implants and liver transplants.

Information courtesy of AAMC.

NSF advances national health, prosperity, and security.

NSF is the only federal agency whose mission supports all fields of fundamental science and engineering. Since its founding in 1950, NSF funding has supported Nobel Prize winning discoveries and developments including:

supercomputers and a high-speed backbone that was the foundation for the internet
data compression algorithms used in satellite transmissions, TVs, and computer hard drives
CAD/CAM technology and barcodes revolutionized manufacturing and supply chain management
research that led to DNA forensics and the ability to track processes at a cellular level
significant improvements to laser microsurgery and LASIK eye surgery
a kidney exchange program developed using economic matching theory
the ability to predict reading problems, such as dyslexia, before they appear by looking at brain waves
Doppler radar which helps predict the velocity of storms (or speeding vehicles)
the existence of three extra solar planets, black holes, subatomic particles, and dark energy
confirmation of the Big Bang Theory and that the universe continues to expand
discovery of the oldest known hominids like Lucy
Computer visualization techniques, such as computer graphics, animation and virtual reality
3D printing which has helped optimize design processes and reduce material waste by up to 90%
Qualcomm’s CDMA wireless technology that revolutionized cellphones
the ASL dictionary and speech-to-text smartphone technology that support hard of hearing individuals
robotics research that supports search-and-rescue and reconnaissance missions

In an average year, NSF supports around 350,000 researchers, entrepreneurs, students, and teachers and 1,900 colleges, universities, and other institutions. The NSF directs 93% of funding to critical science research, teacher training, and STEM education at PreK-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels. Only 5% supports agency operations like staff and IT. Volunteers help peer-review research proposals to keep costs down (in fiscal year 2022 alone, unpaid volunteers wrote more than 169,000 reviews).

Information courtesy of the NSF website and APS Amicus Brief.

Tell your legislators to fund science research and education!

Click the button below to download a template letter you can customize to advocate for NSF funding.

Click the button below to download a template letter you can customize to advocate for NIH funding.