Funding

Eighteen coalitions composed of scientific societies, trade groups, and educational organizations - including ASA, CSSA, and SSSA -  urged Congress to include supplemental funding for federal research in any future coronavirus response legislation. The letter requests $26 billion for scientific and medical researchers who have been impacted by the pandemic. The funding would cover supplements for research grants and contracts.

In the coming weeks, Congress plans to pursue another $1-2 trillion COVID-19 relief package. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have been working with our partners to try and add researchers to the list of impacted industries. The research and university communities are asking Congress to include $26 billion in supplemental extramural research funds in the next relief package.

President Trump released his fiscal year 2021 budget request on February 10. Overall, the request was what expected and similar to what the administration had put forward in the past. Most federal research programs received at least single digit funding cuts in the President’s budget. Federal R&D overall was cut by almost 9%.