AACR, Founding Organizer and Lead Sponsor of the 11th Annual Rally for Medical Research Hill Day, to Advocate for the Highest Possible Increase in Federal Funding for NIH

Nearly 400 organizations join forces again this year to improve health, inspire hope, and save lives

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the founding organizer and lead sponsor for the eleventh annual Rally for Medical Research Hill Day taking place today, September 14, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will join nearly 400 other organizations to advocate for robust, sustained, and predictable annual funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Hill Day participants will thank members of Congress for providing NIH with an increase of $17 billion over the last eight years while asking them to continue their support by providing the agency with the highest possible increase to its base program budget in fiscal year (FY) 2024. The medical research community has recommended at least $51 billion for its base program budget, a 7.3% increase over the FY 2023 level, and urges Congress to appropriate no less than the Senate Appropriations Committee funding level of $49.22 billion. Hill Day participants will also request House and Senate leadership complete work on FY 2024 spending bills as quickly as possible to avoid delays and disruptions caused by continuing resolutions.

“We deeply appreciate the Senate Appropriations Committee’s bipartisan bill that preserves funding for medical research,” said Jon Retzlaff, chief policy officer of the AACR. “To capitalize on the abundance of scientific opportunity, strengthen our medical research workforce, drive economic growth, and make more breakthroughs for patients, we encourage Congress to continue their support of NIH so that the momentum against cancer and countless other diseases can continue.”

During the Hill Day, more than 260 scientists, health professionals, and patient advocates from 35 states will meet with House and Senate members and their staff to emphasize the importance and impact of investing in NIH:

• NIH funding contributed to the development of 354 out of 356 new drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2010 and 2019.
  
• Investment in medical research can reduce future costs of care. Most health care dollars are spent on treating chronic diseases. To better prevent and manage these costly diseases, medical research must be a strong national priority.
  
• The funding provided to NIH fuels the U.S. economy and creates jobs in communities across the country. In FY 2022, research funded by NIH supported nearly 568,600 jobs and more than $94 billion in economic activity across the U.S.

In conjunction with the Hill Day, advocates across the country will participate in the Rally for Medical Research National Day of Action. Partnering organizations will encourage their communities to contact their members of Congress via phone, email, and social media to express their support for federal funding for medical research.  The Rally for Medical Research initiative was launched in April 2013 to bring together the entire medical research community to urge Congress to make NIH funding a national priority. Through the annual Hill Day, the Rally for Medical Research continues to raise awareness about the critical need for continued investment in NIH to improve health, spur progress, inspire hope, and save lives.

Download a photo of Rally participants