A legislative alert important for scientists

Please write in if you are so minded.

(In the interest of full disclosure I should admit I have a vested interest being in the sciences myself and given that my research is fully funded by the NIH. I am working on deafness research though, which is a worthy cause imo :).)



Dear BPS Member,

Please take a minute to contact your Senators and Representative. We have one last opportunity to influence the fiscal year 2007 budget for NIH.

Representative David Obey (WI) and Senator Robert Byrd (WV), the incoming Chairs of the Appropriations Committees, have announced they
will seek a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the unfinished appropriations bills though the end of the fiscal year (September 30,
2007) at their 2006 funding levels. Obey and Byrd indicated that they will make some adjustments to the flat funding levels to address
the nations most important policy concerns. More than $7 billion will be available in the CR to increase funding for priorities
such as health and education, due in part to a moratorium on earmarks in the bill.

We must make the case that a portion of the $7 billion should be directed to lifesaving research that is supported by NIH.

Please contact your Representative and Senators immediately to urge them to increase funding for the NIH in 2007. A sample letter is
provided below -- feel free to use it as-is or to personalize it. You can add information about the affect the flat funding has on
you, your lab, or your university.

To send an email to your Senators and Representatives, go to:
House: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm (click on the webform for each of your Senator to send a
message)

----------------------------

Sample Letter:

As your constituent, I strongly urge you to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health in fiscal year 2007. Please
support using additional funds available in the long-term continuing resolution for health and education priorities, such as the NIH.

The NIH is vital to our nations health and prosperity. Flat funding hurts the NIHs ability to improve Americans health through
research. In the absence of funding that keeps pace with inflation, the NIH must reduce the number of grants provided to researchers
around the nation, as well as the size of grants it provides.

Please be a champion for research and support increased funding for the NIH in 2007.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME

---------------------------------