Why Your Voice Matters

We’ve said it before:

Science is in crisis in the United States. The National Institutes of Health, the major source of funding for lifesaving biomedical research across the United States, is now facing a 40% budget cut that could dramatically affect the development of new treatments for childhood mental illness, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease (among others).  

In this critical time, your voice matters! 🗣️

Over the course of the past five months, I have raised my voice through:

• Meetings with state and federal lawmakers

• Letter writing campaigns

• Protests

• Educational trainings

I want to share three key takeaways from these experiences with you, so that you can be an effective advocate  for the causes and communities that matter most for you: 

1. Engage lawmakers from across the aisle. ✅

It is important to present the issues and supporting data to lawmakers from all parties.
Remember: "Advocacy is not partisan."

Use:

• Thorough background research

• Illustrative examples

• Personal stories

• Impact on constituents

These tools can help you find common ground with potentially adversarial lawmakers. 🤝

2. Don't just make asks - say THANK YOU! 🙏

   Even if a lawmaker is already aligned with your viewpoint:

   • Thank them for their efforts

   • Provide additional data or personal stories

   • Reinforce that the issue matters to their constituents

   Doing so shows continued interest from the community and equips them with additional materials to advocate more effectively for the issue.

3. Make it local.📍

   When legislators see that a piece of legislation may hurt their own constituents, they are far more likely to take action. 

   You don't have to go to D.C. or your state capitol to advocate as a constituent:  

   • You can call, write to, or even visit your lawmakers!  

   • Visit federal lawmakers when they are on recess from D.C. and back home in their home offices all throughout August.  

   • Don’t forget to raise your voice at city council meetings and engage with your state representatives and senators too. 

Ready to get started? 🚀

• Federal advocacy: 

  Find your federal representatives here 

  Find your federal senators here 

• If you’re in Michigan . . .  

  Find your state representative and senator here 

For a recap of federal policies affecting biomedical research, education, and the economy, check out our YouTube video, Science in Crisis:

_{Help Support Science Content & Communication}

Our team is so excited to get the word out to the people we serve and inform for FREE … and your support will allow us to put more resources and energy into doing precisely that.

Your donations help fund the creation of content that translates our research into practice.

Consider supporting our outreach efforts:

Stay Resilient!