SRCD Signs on to ASM and AAAS Letter Emphasizing the Need to Complete the Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations Process and Provide Emergency Research Relief
SRCD signed on to an American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) letter urging Congress to complete the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations process and recognize the impact short-term spending measures have had on science and research. The letter, addressed to Congressional leaders, calls for the finalization of annual funding levels for federal science agencies and programs and emphasizes the need for emergency research relief funding to alleviate the effects COVID-19 has had on the scientific community.
The letter states, “Federal investments across more than two dozen defense and nondefense agencies provide the lifeblood for research, discovery, innovation and development in the United States, driving one of the most powerful engines for American prosperity and global leadership. Failing to complete work on the appropriations bills that fuel this engine in a timely manner impedes our ability to not only respond and recover from COVID-19, but also to address persistent and fundamental challenges such as chronic and infectious diseases, food and energy security, national security and natural disasters—all of which require advancements in science and technology fostered through federal investments.”