In Brief
Take Action: Register for the 2025 Rally for Medical Research
Join the Biophysical Society (BPS) and your STEM colleagues at the 2025 Rally for Medical Research in Washington, DC. The Rally, scheduled for September 17-18, is your chance to urge Congress to protect the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support basic and biomedical research and preserve U.S. scientific endeavors.
The scientific landscape this year is more tumultuous than ever, with significant cuts proposed by the White House; it is up to us as advocates for science to maintain the pressure on Congress to uphold the standards of scientific research and development and remain on the cutting edge of scientific and medical research. Register now to join us on September 18 to protect decades of investment in the NIH and essential basic and biomedical research. Registration closes on September 8.
Applications Are Open for the Biophysical Society 2026–2027 Congressional Fellowship
Interested in using your science skills to inform science policy? Does spending a year working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, helping develop policy sound exciting? The Biophysical Society’s Congressional Fellowship program is your opportunity to participate directly in the process of law-making that impacts how research is funded and regulated. This year-long opportunity provides fellows a chance to utilize their science knowledge to inform the public policy process. Fellows will gain firsthand knowledge and experience on how Congress works and participate in the esteemed AAAS Science and Technology Fellows program that provides ongoing training and networking opportunities during the fellowship year and beyond. Visit the BPS Congressional Fellowship website for more details about the program or contact Leann Fox at [email protected] or (240) 290-5606. The application deadline is December 12, 2025.
August Recess Looms, Leaving Short Time to Complete Appropriations Bills
With Congress slated to return home for a four-week in-district work period, the Senate is poised to meet this week to advance spending proposals for several departments and agencies, including the National Institutes of Health. To date, the Senate has been able to secure bipartisan support for spending bills, while the House have been relying on the Republican majority to advance their own.
The House went on recess last week ahead of schedule, canceling plans to advance the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill, which includes funding for the National Science Foundation, and leaving without offering its proposal for NIH. Fiscal year 2026 begins at the end of September. It remains unclear if the Senate will release its spending proposal for the Department of Energy before the recess. The likelihood of a continuing resolution (CR) to maintain federal operations at the end of the fiscal year continues to increase; precious little time remains for both chambers to complete their work on the 12 appropriations bills and work through negotiating through differences before September 30th.
California Dems Push Back Against National Lab Cuts
The Department of Energy’s national labs have begun layoffs of a significant number of employees, with additional labs being warned of the potential for similar actions. Several Democrats from the California delegation recently sent a letter to the Administration demanding the employees be reinstated and cuts reversed. According national lab officials are considering laying off more than 3,000 scientists and staff, including more than 1,000 at the National Renewable Energy Lab and some at Berkeley Lab.
NSF Staff Protest Funding and Staff Cuts
Last week, employees from the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a letter protesting changes in policy under the current administration, including reductions in workforce and the cancellation of grants. Currently, NSF has lost approximately 1/3 of its employees since the start of the year. The letter, sent directly to House Science Democrats as an official whistleblower complaint in order to protect signers from retaliation, alleges the administration has interfered with congressionally appropriated funding, stating that the White House is withholding $2.2 billion from NSF.