The role of the United States in scientific, medical, and public health progress is at risk following recent actions by the Administration, including freezes of federally funded research grants, widespread layoffs of National Institutes of Health (NIH) personnel, and efforts to slash NIH research grants by dramatically reducing facilities and administrative cost reimbursement.

Furthermore, President Trump’s “skinny” budget released on May 2 calls for a 38% cut to the NIH’s budget. The document also details a restructuring of the NIH, consolidating the current 25 institutes and centers to just eight. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) would be consolidated with two other institutes under a new National Institute on Body Systems.

NASPGHAN members are urged to speak up now and ask their members of Congress to not only reject a cut to NIH funding but to support an increase to the NIH budget. Messages that are personalized to include your experiences and concerns as they pertain to federal medical research funding are strongly encouraged.

Take action by urging your members of Congress to protect pediatric digestive disease research.