Researchers from across the country represented their universities and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to meet with lawmakers in Washington D.C. on May 17, 2023.
Ann West, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, associate vice president for research and partnerships, and incoming chair of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Public Affairs Advisory Committee, joined 15 other U.S. academic researchers to convey the importance of federal funding for fundamental research.
In their first Capitol Hill visit since 2019 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the researchers participated in 48 meetings, speaking with staff members of 16 U.S. senators, including OK Senators James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, and eight U.S. Representatives, including Tom Cole from Oklahoma’s fourth district.
“Our goal was to express how important this funding is to ensuring America’s competitiveness in science and technology,” West said. “This funding will also help us continue the fight against human diseases and make breakthrough foundational discoveries.”
West and her colleagues advocated for the importance of funding for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The group’s efforts are especially important during this time of economic uncertainty due to negotiations on the debt ceiling and 2024 budget appropriations.
Learn more about the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s policy efforts.
