Dear GSA Community,
In January, the Senate approved bipartisan fiscal year 2026 funding packages, rejecting proposed cuts to key scientific agencies and providing targeted increases for research and development. On February 3, President Trump signed the remaining appropriations bills into law.
Over the past year, scientists—As a member of our genetics community, including you—Has been a staunch advocate for federal research funding. We recognize your hard work to preserve the scientific enterprise and demonstrate the immense importance of research funding for basic science. Although much work remains, your advocacy has made a difference during a time of significant uncertainty for research, careers, and early career scientists.
According to a recent AAAS report, the final FY26 appropriations include a 0.9% increase for the National Institutes of Health and a 3.4% decrease for the National Science Foundation, substantially better than the cuts proposed in the president’s budget request. While this is good news, there are still challenges when it comes to FY26. 2025 Multi-year funding is in effect, limiting the availability of funds for new or renewal NIH awards.
Your continued engagement matters. The stories and data you share are compelling: the impact on your professional and academic journey, the experiences of your trainees, how recent changes have affected your state and local economies, stories of scientists moving abroad to continue their research, and more. These stories were used to write a series of blog posts. From genes to genomes A description of the broad impacts on the scientific establishment and our community and some of them were used to provide examples of those impacts during meetings with elected members of Congress. GSA’s most recent Virtual Hill Days, held in September and October 2025 in partnership with the Coalition for Life Sciences, gave scientists the opportunity to share stories with members of Congress and staff. We held 42 meetings in 15 states and Washington, DC.
Each of you plays a key role in helping members of Congress understand the real-world impact of funding cuts. We will continue to share policy updates and advocacy resources. Please stay tuned for details on Virtual Hill Day in 2026. Thank you for standing up for science and being part of our community.
GSA Executive Committee
Cassandra Extor, President, Harvard University
David Greenstein, Vice President, University of Minnesota
Brenda Andrews, Immediate Past President, University of Toronto
Maureen Barr, Secretary, Rutgers University
Mary Mullins, Treasurer, University of Pennsylvania
Tracy D. Pellegrin, Executive Director of GSA
Please consider sharing your story about how the policy changes have affected you.
Questions? Email society@genetics-gsa.org.
