Researchers appeal for materials R&D funding on Congressional Visits Day
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Researchers appeal for materials R&D funding on Congressional Visits Day
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group of materials researchers has participated in Congressional Visits Day in Washington, DC, this spring, organized by the Materials Research Society (MRS). The purpose of this annual activity is for constituents to discuss with members of the US Congress the importance of sustained funding for basic research and the impact that funding has, for example, on the economy and national security. Materials researchers met with House and Senate leadership and Congressional members who can influence decisions on research funding. On May 8, 2018, the researchers met with legislators or their staff, covering 17 states. In many cases, the researchers found that the legislators already supported funding for R&D in science and were aware of the materials field. In some cases, the field was new to the staff, who then welcomed more information. According to Damon Dozier, Director of Government Affairs for MRS,
while legislators express support for the required funding, their conviction does not necessarily translate all the way through the appropriations process. The resounding message from the legislators during Congressional Visits Day was for their constituents to continue bringing “stories” of the successful outcome of such funding, which helps the legislators make their case during budgeting deliberations. Fortunately, for FY 2018, the appropriation levels granted to the Office of Science in the US Department of Energy (DOE) and specifically for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy were agreeable to MRS. DOE received a 16% increase over FY 2017 through the 2018 omnibus bill signed by the administration in spring this year. The visiting constituents, however, want more. Ilke Arslan met with legislative staff members in the offices of both senators in her state of Illinois as well as
On Congressional Visits Day, organized by the Materials Research Society on May 8, 2018, MRS members met with their US legislators in Washington, DC, to advocate for materials research funding. (Left to right): Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Representative Kristi Noem (R-S.D. At-Large District), MRS member Steve Smith, and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.).
the office of her district house representative. While all three offices have been steady—and sometimes zealous—advocates for funding of the physical sciences, Arslan took the opportunity to further educate them about the need for increased funding for biomaterials. This can be done through the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), a department within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). By way of relating materials research to medical research, Arslan, as well as the other participants, pointed to the development of tools, instruments, and emerging technologies that can be applied to a broad range of biomedical and healthcare problems. “Increased funding for NIBIB will allow critical work in the areas of basic research, precision medicine, applied science technology, and bioma
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