ASE Joins Ad Hoc Group Letter on FY 2027 House Appropriations for NIH Funding

On April 16, ASE joined nearly 600 members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research in submitting a statement for the record to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, recommending at least $51.303 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in FY 2027. The statement underscores NIH-supported research as the foundation for nearly every preventive intervention, diagnostic, treatment, and cure in practice today, while highlighting the economic multiplier effect of federal research investment, the need to remain competitive with countries such as China, and the importance of cultivating the next generation of researchers. It also raises concern that NIH obligations in FY 2026 are lagging historical averages, noting that as of March 20, new awards accounted for only 12 percent of all extramural awards, down from 18 to 22 percent in the previous five fiscal years. The statement urges lawmakers to ensure NIH can expend its current appropriation in a timely manner and cautions against the administration’s proposal to dramatically expand forward funding, which would commit a larger share of the budget to fewer awards and reduce opportunities for new and early-career investigators.

NIH funding directly supports the cardiovascular research that advances echocardiography and cardiac imaging, and timely, predictable funding protects the research pipeline that translates discovery into improved patient care. ASE participates to strengthen the federal investment and funding stability that underpin the future of the specialty.