Protect the Future of Cancer Research: Tell Congress to Reject NIH Cuts

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) urges you to take immediate action to defend the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its vital role in saving lives, advancing science, and driving medical breakthroughs. A new national poll shows that 77% of Americans oppose cuts to federal funding for medical research. Despite this overwhelming support, the President’s proposed FY 2026 budget includes a nearly 40% reduction in NIH funding and significantly undermines the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the federal government’s leading cancer research agency.

These proposed cuts, combined with escalating political and administrative interference, are not theoretical. They are already causing serious harm. Clinical trials are being delayed or canceled. Promising research has been halted midstream. Grants are being frozen, scientists are being pushed out, and critical oversight functions have been dismantled. These are not routine policy shifts. We must act now to protect cancer research and stop efforts to dismantle our nation’s biomedical research enterprise.

Why This Matters

For more than 75 years, NIH has powered discoveries that save lives. Its investment in cancer research has transformed once-deadly diagnoses into treatable conditions, unlocked new therapies, and given patients more time with the people they love. Progress supported by NIH and the National Cancer Institute has changed the trajectory of cancer for millions of families.

That progress is now at risk.

The proposed cuts would stall scientific momentum, drive researchers out of the field, and limit access to future breakthroughs. They would weaken the infrastructure behind cancer research and threaten the long-term stability of our medical innovation ecosystem. If we allow that progress to be lost, it will not be easily recovered.

Cancer research has long united Republicans and Democrats. That bipartisan legacy must be protected for science, for patients, and for the future.

How You Can Help

Congress needs to hear from constituents now. Please call or email your representatives and urge them to:

• Reject the FY2026 budget proposal and all cuts to NIH and NCI
• Restore stability at NIH and reaffirm its independence
• Protect the future of science by supporting early-career researchers and the broader research infrastructure

While emails are helpful, calls carry more weight. Speaking directly with a staffer or leaving a voicemail can make a real impact. Every call is logged. Every voice matters.

Your Voice Can Make the Difference

Cancer research has saved lives, strengthened the economy, and helped the United States lead the world in innovation. But we cannot take that legacy for granted.

Join the 77% of Americans who oppose medical research cuts. Stand up for science. Stand with patients. Speak out for the future of cancer research.

Take action now.