Biological scientists from across the country were in Washington, DC, on April 15-17, 2024, to participate in the AIBS Communications Boot Camp for Scientists and Congressional Visits Day.
Following a two-day communications and advocacy training program, scientists headed to Capitol Hill where they spent April 17 meeting with their members of Congress. The meetings provided participants with an opportunity to put into practice what they had learned in the training program, while also advocating for increased federal funding for scientific research.
The meetings with members of Congress were an opportunity for scientists to help lawmakers understand the importance of sustained federal investments in scientific research, particularly how federal investments support cutting-edge research in their districts and states. Participants talked with their elected officials about the need for Congress to appropriate at least $11.9 billion to the National Science Foundation in FY 2025, and some also discussed the importance of new investments in the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Energy Office of Science. Nearly 50 meetings took place between scientists and congressional offices.
Scientists from 16 states, namely Illinois, Iowa, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas participated in the event. AIBS member societies, including American Society of Mammalogists, Botanical Society of America, Organization of Biological Field Stations, Society for the Study of Evolution, and North Central State College, sponsored the participation of a number of scientists. Recipients of the 2024 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award—Alex Rich from Yale University and Efraín Rodríguez-Ocasio from Iowa State University—also attended.
This event is made possible in part by generous contributions from AIBS members who support our policy initiatives. Contact our Public Policy Office today to find out how to support science policy.