Medical Research Funding

Background

The National Institutes of Health is the world's largest public funder of biomedical research, directing approximately 83% of its budget to extramural researchers at academic institutions and companies nationwide. NIH funding generates $2.56 in economic activity for every dollar invested, supporting over 408,000 jobs and producing $94.5 billion in economic impact in FY 2024. NIH-funded research has produced transformative echocardiography advances including 3D/4D imaging, strain imaging for early disease detection, machine learning algorithms, and portable point-of-care devices that enhance diagnostic accuracy and reduce healthcare costs.

ASE Recommendations

ASE urges Congress to provide at least $51.3 billion for NIH in FY 2027, representing an 8.7% increase over FY 2026 enacted levels. This investment would:

Restore predictable, sustained growth in biomedical research funding after a year of grant freezes, delayed disbursements, and terminated clinical trials that disrupted cardiovascular research nationwide
Protect the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and other cardiovascular research programs
Support the next generation of echocardiography advances, including AI-driven diagnostics, novel strain imaging applications, and expanded point-of-care capabilities
Maintain America's global leadership in biomedical research and the economic benefits NIH funding delivers to communities in every state

Your Story Powers Our Advocacy

Advocacy doesn't happen in a vacuum. The most powerful case for protecting and expanding biomedical research funding comes from the people who live it: patients whose lives have been changed by cardiovascular ultrasound, and the providers who use it every day. Without your stories, the numbers and policy arguments lose their human weight. That's why we're asking you to take a few minutes to share your experience. Your voice can help shape the conversation and make the case in a way that data alone never could.