FASEB President Reaffirms Role as Collective Policy Voice

By: Beth Garvy, PhD
Monday, November 18, 2024
As of today, the Presidential race and the Senate majority have been decided. While the election results undeniably shift the political landscape, they do not change FASEB’s fundamental mission to advance health and well-being by promoting research and education in biological and biomedical sciences through collaborative advocacy. As a result of the collective efforts of FASEB (and many others), Congress has a long-standing record of bipartisan actions to make biomedical research a national priority. Maintaining support for basic research is critical to drive innovation, develop new treatments, and improve human health.
 
FASEB’s advocacy and policy efforts will remain especially important over the next four years, and we are committed to continuing our focus in these areas. Equally as important is FASEB’s commitment to advancing programs and initiatives to ensure a diverse and representative workforce in the biological and biomedical sciences. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core tenets of our advocacy and science policy efforts. This will continue to be realized through programming that seeks to foster a scientific workforce that more fully reflects our increasingly diverse nation. This will also not change.
 
In the months ahead, FASEB will continue to engage with Congress, federal agencies, and the Executive branch to ensure that the collective voices of the scientific community that FASEB represents are heard. As always, we will rely on our partnership with FASEB member societies and their volunteer leaders to execute collaborative advocacy strategies and tactics to advocate for strong funding for biomedical research and evidence-based policies that will advance science. Registration for FASEB’s annual Capitol Hill Day—scheduled for March 19—will open in January, providing Board and Science Policy Committee members the opportunity to meet new members of the 119th Congress and strengthen relationships with returning senators and representatives. We will also focus on maintaining close contacts with federal agencies as they participate in the transition process with the incoming administration.
 
Gathering input from FASEB’s volunteer leaders is another critical step. I ask that you please share this letter with members of your society in the format that works best for you. We face challenging times ahead and it is more critical than ever that FASEB and our member societies reaffirm our role as the collective policy voice of biological and biomedical researchers.