Blotter

2017 Hill Day recap

By
April 11, 2017

This past week, the ASBMB held its annual Hill Day, bringing undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and midcareer researchers to Capitol Hill to discuss federal funding for scientific research with members of Congress and their staffs.

Early Thursday morning Hill Day attendees put on their advocacy hats and descended on Capitol Hill.

And then the meetings began…

This year the ASBMB brought 29 participants to Washington, D.C. (12 ASBMB PAAC members and 17 grad students, undergraduates, and postdocs) representing 33 states and attended close to 90 meetings.

Teams, in most cases, went to nine meetings, often-times back-to-back requiring them to zigzag from the House to the Senate and back again with few opportunities to to catch their breath.

If they did have a chance to grab a bite, they needed to move fast in order to make their next meeting.

All in all, Hill Day was a success.

We thank the trainees and researchers who continue to help make the case for investments in basic research. Participants reported an overwhelming outpouring of support from both sides of the aisle regarding the future of NIH and NSF funding. As we move closer to the end of a continuing resolution on Apr. 28, we will continue to push for proper appropriations bills that not only fund agencies like the NSF and NIH but also show an increased commitment to investing in the future of the scientific enterprise.

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