ASE Submits Comments on the National Institutes of Health’s Strategic Plan

On May 21, ASE submitted comments to the NIH Office of the Director in response to the Request for Information on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027–2031. The letter offered three key recommendations: increased investment in the T32 funding mechanism to support translational and clinically-focused physician-scientist training; formal partnerships with medical specialty societies to develop targeted funding mechanisms and RFAs addressing pressing clinical gaps; and expanded funding for imaging science in recognition of advanced imaging’s growing role in precision medicine, patient selection, and clinical trial design.

ASE’s comments reflect the Society’s position that cardiovascular ultrasound represents a critical and undervalued form of precision medicine that warrants dedicated NIH investment. ASE encouraged the NIH Strategic Plan to prioritize multidisciplinary research ecosystems combining imaging, molecular profiling, and artificial intelligence, with emphasis on implementation science and equitable access to emerging technologies across diverse populations.