The Science Coalition Submits Statement to Senate Appropriations Committee in Support of Federal Funding for Biomedical Research
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Science Coalition submitted a statement for the record to the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of federal investments in biomedical scientific research ahead of the committee’s upcoming hearing on Wednesday, April 30: “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation.”
“Day in and day out, our institutions perform basic scientific research that catalyzes biomedical innovation and generates breakthrough medical discoveries at the leading edge of human health and well-being,” the statement reads. “Research at TSC institutions underpins the novel treatments and therapies that tackle rare and complex diseases, help Americans live longer, and improve health outcomes.”
“Funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is critical to our nation’s global leadership in biomedical research,” the statement continues. “For decades, these federal investments have enabled researchers at American colleges and universities to unlock transformative medical discoveries, including cures for childhood leukemia, advanced lung cancer treatment diagnostics, GLP-1 therapies, the pap smear, magnetic resonance imaging, insulin, statins, and more.”
The statement concludes: “We look forward to working with the Committee to further demonstrate the immense impact of biomedical research conducted in partnership with universities across the nation to benefit the American people.”
See below for the full statement.
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April 25, 2025
The Honorable Senator Susan Collins
Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee
Room S-128, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Senator Patty Murray
Ranking Member Senate Appropriations Committee
Room S-128, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
Chair Collins, Ranking Member Murray, and Senate Appropriations Committee Members:
The Science Coalition (TSC), a group of more than 50 of the nation’s leading research universities, commends the Committee for holding the hearing on April 30, 2025, titled “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation.”
Day in and day out, our institutions perform basic scientific research that catalyzes biomedical innovation and generates breakthrough medical discoveries at the leading edge of human health and well-being. Research at TSC institutions underpins the novel treatments and therapies that tackle rare and complex diseases, help Americans live longer, and improve health outcomes.
Funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is critical to our nation’s global leadership in biomedical research. For decades, these federal investments have enabled researchers at American colleges and universities to unlock transformative medical discoveries, including cures for childhood leukemia, advanced lung cancer treatment diagnostics, GLP-1 therapies, the pap smear, magnetic resonance imaging, insulin, statins, and more.
College and university researchers were integral contributors in developing more than one-fourth of the drugs and more than one-third of all cancer medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the twenty-first century. Moreover, partnerships between private-sector biopharmaceutical companies and federally funded academic researchers have yielded 200-plus therapies over the last 40 years.
NIH funding also supports our world-class healthcare workforce. Any significant cuts to NIH funding will threaten more than 410,000 existing biomedical jobs nationwide and reduce opportunities for young and talented American researchers to access the types of hands-on training and skills development necessary to maintain a robust biomedical workforce.
Voters recognize that scientific research leads to lifesaving cures and treatments. Our own polling suggests that three-quarters of voters across the political spectrum approve of the federal government using taxpayer funds to invest in basic scientific research, which leads to biomedical breakthroughs. Simply put, the benefits of NIH-funded research impact families across the country every single day.
TSC appreciates the Committee’s longstanding, bipartisan commitment to supporting biomedical research funding and proudly recognizes Chair Collins and Ranking Member Murray as Champions of Science – Congressional leaders who consistently support fundamental scientific research.
TSC is grateful for the Committee’s attention to these issues. We look forward to working with the Committee to further demonstrate the immense impact of biomedical research conducted in partnership with universities across the nation to benefit the American people.
Sincerely,
The Science Coalition
www.sciencecoalition.org
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About The Science Coalition (TSC)
The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization comprised of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive America’s global competitiveness. Learn more at www.sciencecoalition.org.
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