Resources on 2025 U.S. Federal Policy Changes
U.S. executive orders and other communications have important implications for SBM and the conduct of our science: Many of our members are employees of the federal government, rely on federal government datasets and websites, receive federal funding to support their training and/or programs of research, and focus their research and practice on reducing health disparities.
SBM is actively and continuously evaluating the rapidly changing policy landscape to identify the most strategic and impactful opportunities to engage alone or in partnership with other scientific societies in our network. We want to understand how SBM can support your professional missions during this time. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts here.
The resources below may be helpful if you want to take action as an individual living in the United States. Many sections include automated ways to contact your federal legislators as an individual constituent. SBM members can also connect with federal legislators as official SBM Policy Ambassadors, or as experts for Congressional outreach from SBM partner organization the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Many of these resources can also be used in outreach to state and local officials. We know federal changes will impact their constituents and their communities, and they may have separate actions they can take to reduce harm or advocate for change. You can use these links to find contact information for your state, mayoral, and other local officials. If you don’t live in the U.S., consider reaching out to your U.S. colleagues to see how you can help.
Get Involved: Take Action and Explore SBM’s Advocacy Impact
Want to make your voice heard on the issues that matter most? Visit SBM’s new Grassroots Action Center powered by Congress Plus—your one-stop hub to quickly contact your elected officials and advocate for behavioral medicine priorities. Want to see SBM’s advocacy footprint and discover more ways to support the cause? Check out our latest Advocacy Update newsletter.
Termination of NIH Grants and CDC Programs
BACKGROUND
- TRACKER: CDC and SAMHSA $12 Billion Rescinded Grants, with Impact by State (from SBM partner the Coalition for Health Funding) (Additional Resources)
- Report: The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health has released Broken Lifelines, a new report outlining how recent federal funding cuts are harming academic public health
- TRACKER: NIH Terminated Grants
- March 6 to 11: Articles: NIH terminated existing research grants involving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), LGBTQ+ issues, gender identity, climate change, vaccine hesitancy, and mRNA vaccines.
- Article: When could a government shutdown occur? Deadline to pass funding bill looms this month
- Lists of Terminated Grants: From Science
- March 18:SBM-Signed Letter on the Importance and Safety of Vaccines
- March 24: The Department of Health and Human Services has issued information on terminated awards (it includes information on the awarding office, award number, recipient name, date terminated, total award amount for the budget period, anticipated amount canceled as a result of the termination, and award title)
- March 26: Video: “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Other Diseases,” a forum hosted by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over funding for the NIH, and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.)
- April 2: ACLU and Others File Lawsuit Challenging NIH Grant Terminations (Press Release) (Full Legal Challenge)
- April 4 (Cases now combined): State Attorneys General File Similar Legal Challenge Against NIH Grant Terminations (Full Legal Challenge) (Motion for Preliminary Injunction) (April 17 Amicus Brief by AAMC and others)
- June 16: Judge Orders NIH to Restore Grants Cut (Science)
- June 23: Government files motions of appeal and stay (Court Docket)
- April 10: Nature: How Trump 2.0 is slashing NIH-backed research — in charts
- April 24: STAT: NIH grants plummeted $2.3 billion in Trump’s first months
- April 27: 60 Minutes: How cuts at the National Institutes of Health could impact Americans' health
ACTION TOOLS
- APPLY: The Spencer Foundation has developed a rapid response bridge grant opportunity for scholars and teams whose grants have recently been cancelled by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
- NEW: Interactive Map (by State, County, and Congressional District) of Impact of Federal Health Research Grant and Job Cuts (Includes Take Action Link!)
- To Craft Your Own Outreach:
- Report Your Terminated Grant to SBM Here
- April 8 "Kill the Cuts" Day of Action
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine Commentary: "The United States is facing unprecedented challenges in the field of health and health care: what can and should we do about it? A call to action"
- And keep submitting your grants -- the agencies need to hear about your work!
NIH 15% Cap on Indirect Costs for All Grants
BACKGROUND
- April 4: Permanent Injunction Issued in NIH Indirects Lawsuit, Appeal Likely
- March 5: Article: U.S. judge blocks NIH’s plan to slash overhead cost payments
- NIH Policy Notice
- Lawsuit from SBM-Partner, the Association of American Medical Colleges, Results in Nationwide Temporary Restraining Order on Proposed Drastic Cuts to NIH Funding
- "What is Happening at NIH?" Explainer on All Actions since January 20, from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences
- One-Pager, FAQ, Comparisons to Foundations, and Other Explainers of Indirect Costs, from the Council on Governmental Relations
- Explainer and Impact Article
ACTION TOOLS
- SBM-Signed Letter to Congress Calling for Robust FY25 NIH Funding, Including No Cuts to Indirects
- Research!America Form to Contact Your Members of Congress
- To Craft Your Own Outreach:
- Tool to Calculate the Economic and Employment Impact of NIH Funding In Your State
- Tool to Calculate the Impact of Federal Research Funding in Your State and Congressional District (also includes NSF and USDA)
- Chart Showing Estimated Single Year Financial Loss by Individual University/Institution if 15% Indirect Cost Rate is Imposed (quickly search for your institution)
- How to Communicate with Congress, from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences
- Statement from the American Diabetes Association
- Statement from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
- Statement from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
- Statement from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Grant Disbursement Freeze
BACKGROUND
- Lawsuit from SBM-Partner, the American Public Health Association, Results in Restraining Order on Federal Grant Disbursement Freeze
- Updates on Federal Payment Freeze
ACTION TOOLS
- To Craft Your Own Outreach:
Executive Orders
BACKGROUND
- March 27: HHS Announces Reduction of 10,000 Employees in Response to Trump Executive Order
- March 29: Video: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, along with former NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli, MD, and other former HHS leadership, discussed potential impacts of the restructuring and reduction in force
- UPDATED: Research!America Timeline of Trump Administration Actions Impacting Medical and Public Health Research
- March 4: SBM-Signed American Institute of Biological Sciences Letter Urging Congress to Assert its Constitutional Authority
- Full Executive Order Tracker with List of Legal Challenges, courtesy of Sheppard Mullin law firm
- Summary of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Executive Orders
- UPDATED: Court Challenges Legality and Constitutionality of DEI Executive Orders
- Article: Here are the words putting science in the crosshairs of Trump’s orders
ACTION TOOLS
Availability of Public Data
BACKGROUND
- May 20: AcademyHealth Joins Lawsuit to Restore Public Health Data Removed from Federal Websites
- Explainer Article
- Updates on Limiting Access to Federal Databases and Datasets
- February 28: Article: Kennedy moves to eliminate notice and public comment requirements for certain HHS decisions
- March 3: Official Notice
- BMJ Article: Pulling resources and blocking access to key scientific data will cause untold long term harm
- March 3: Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Raises Alarm Over HHS Move to Restrict Public Comments on Regulations
- Senate Resolution: HHS should reverse course on the “Richardson Waiver” reversal that reduces notice and public comment on HHS actions
ACTION TOOLS
- Help the Data Rescue Project
- Consortium of Social Science Associations Form to Email Your Members of Congress
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine Commentary: "The United States is facing unprecedented challenges in the field of health and health care: what can and should we do about it? A call to action"
- To Craft Your Own Outreach:
Appropriations
BACKGROUND
- June 30: American College of Sports Medicine letter to Senate and House Appropriations Committees expressing urgent concerns regarding the proposed elimination of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) in the FY 2026 President’s Budget - June: CDC Data Project, launched by a network of former CDC employees, summarizes agency and budget data to show the impact of the proposed FY26 budget on efforts to help Americans live safer, healthier, and longer lives
- June 10: SBM Urges Action on NIH Funding Delays
- June 5: SBM and 500+ Orgs Ask Congress to Reject the Trump Budget and Stand Up for NIH
- May: Bipartisan U.S. Senate and House Dear Colleague Letters Call for Strong NIH Funding
- May 30: Research!America Statement Against FY26 Budget Cuts to Research Funding (Coverage in CNN)
- May 2: Trump budget proposes drastic cuts for US scientific research (Reuters Article) (White House Budget Text)
- April 30: New Science Coalition National Poll Finds Strong Bipartisan Support for Federal Investments in Scientific Research
- April 30: WATCH: Senate Appropriations Committee will hold the first in a two-part, bipartisan hearing series titled “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation,” led by Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA). The first hearing, scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, at 10:30 a.m. ET, will feature testimony from researchers and other stakeholders. A second hearing, date TBD, will include administration officials.
- April 16: Article: Internal Trump Administration Letter Proposes Cutting NIH by 43% ($20 Billion) and Collapsing 27 Institutes and Centers into 8
- April 7: 500+ Organizations, Including SBM, Sign Letter Urging Congress to Provide at least $51.3 Billion for NIH in FY26
- FY26 FAQs on NIH Funding Increase Request (from the Association of American Medical Colleges)
ACTION TOOLS
- DISTRICT MEETING AND OUTREACH TOOLKIT: SBM belongs to the Coalition for Health Funding, which has developed a District Toolkit to support members planning district meetings and to encourage advocacy for health funding at the district level
- WATCH: June 24: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expected to testify about FY26 HHS budget at U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health
- WATCH: June 10: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the NIH, will testify about the President’s FY26 budget request for the NIH, before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Coverage from STAT and The Hill)
- June 6: Research!America WEB FORM: Urge Congress to support NIH funding and protect research infrastructure
- June 3: APA WEB FORM: Tell your members of Congress to reject the unprecedented funding cuts in the President's FY26 budget (including cutting NIH by 40%!)
- TOOLKIT: Telling a story about NIH Funding (AAMC)
- SUBMIT TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS: The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over NIH funding, issued instructions to submit outside witness testimony. The deadline to submit written testimony is June 13.
- Example testimony file from SBM partner, the Coalition for Health Funding -- SBM members can use this as a model and use the NIH funding amount, but should add their own examples of harm in their states.
- WATCH: May 14: Senate HELP Committee hearing on the president’s FY26 budget request for HHS. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is scheduled to testify.
- SHARE: May 2: SBM Partner, the Coalition for Health Funding, Statement on the President's FY26 Budget Proposal, calling it "an abdication of our nation’s commitment to the
health of all Americans"- AAMC Statement on Trump Budget Proposal: "If enacted, the preview of the president’s budget request released today would yield to cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and other health threats facing Americans by dismantling federal support for medical research, public health, and health professions education that keeps the country healthy."
- Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Statement on Trump Budget Proposal: This budget request would “erase decades of progress in enhancing federal support for medical research that improves patient health and well-being and saves lives."
- SHARE: April 25: SBM and 500+ Other Orgs Send Letter to House and Senate Appropriators Calling on Them to Reject Proposed Cuts to HHS
- Research!America Editable Email Form to Contact Your Members of Congress about April 16 Trump NIH Budget Proposal (reduces funding, reduces ICs, and keeps indirects at 15%)
- Research!America Quick Guide to Submitting Comments in your Member of Congress' Appropriations Portal
- Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) Form to Contact Your Members of Congress to Support Uninterrupted, Robust Federal Investment in Scientific Research
- COSSA From to Contact Your Members of Congress to Prioritize NIH and Other Science Funding in FY26
Support for Science
BACKGROUND
- June 11: Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Report: Impact of federal actions on academic medicine and the U.S. health care system
- May 5: Article: More than a dozen states, DC sue Trump administration over ‘dismantling’ of federal health agencies
- April 30: Association of Science and Technology Centers survey shows gaps between public support for science and understanding of how science is impacted by federal actions
- April 1: Nearly 2,000 Scientists (Including SBM Members) Warn Trump Administration Is Weakening Research and Endangering Americans (Article) (Open Letter)
- Spring 2025 Issues in Science and Technology Interview: "Universities are the invisible hand"
- SBM-Signed American Psychological Association Letter Affirming Our Commitment to Science (Will also appear on AAAS and in The Chronicle of Higher Education)
- Research!America Survey Shows Americans Support Investments in U.S. Research (Jan 2025)
- March 13: National Postdoctoral Association Releases Report on Impact of Recent Executive Branch Policies on Postdoctoral Researchers
- March 7 Stand Up for Science Rallies Held Across US (Article) (Photos)
- Are you an SBM member who attended? Tell us about your experience or share your photos!
- Check the official Stand Up For Science website for future events and updates.
ACTION TOOLS
- June 9: NIH employees publish ‘Bethesda Declaration’ in dissent of Trump administration policies (Article) (Full Letter)
- By June 7: Comment on Schedule F, to reject the plan to make NIH institute directors political appointees (Use this response from SBM Partner, the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences) Learn more here, and comment here.
- Urge Congress to re-establish the U.S. as the Leader in Innovation, action link from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Sign up as an expert for journalists in the SciLine database, managed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- How to Communicate with Congress, from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences
- Combat Misinformation Shared by Family and Friends (Article featuring SBM Past President Dr. Sherry Pagoto; strategies reference COVID-19 misinformation but can be adapted)
- Bridge the Scientist-Public Misinformation Divide (Article from SBM partner, the Association of American Medical Colleges. Features the Coalition for Trust in Health & Science, which SBM belongs to. See more of the coalition's resources for professionals here.)
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine Commentary: "The United States is facing unprecedented challenges in the field of health and health care: what can and should we do about it? A call to action"
- Get Your Research Out Into the World with SBM:
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine
- Translational Behavioral Medicine
- Healthy Living
- Sci Comm Toolkit for Reaching the Media and the Public
Support for Job Loss and Job Search
BACKGROUND
- July 1: Article: Mass layoffs at HHS were likely unlawful and must be halted, federal judge says
- May 23: Article: District judge further enjoins Trump’s reductions in force at federal agencies
- May 8: SBM joins 75+ organizations in Congressional letter urging greater transparency and oversight of federal agency Reduction-in-Force (RIF) and reorganization plans
- April 16: AAMC News: How uncertainty around cuts to scientific research is impacting the future biomedical research workforce
- Research!America Statement on Devastating Staff Cuts at Health And Human Services Endangering Americans’ Health, Prosperity
ACTION TOOLS
- NEW: Interactive Map (by State, County, and Congressional District) of Impact of Federal Health Research Grant and Job Cuts (Includes Take Action Link!)
- Research!America Editable Email Tool to Contact Congress about HHS Cuts
- Thank you to the professional career coaches offering free coaching to former federal employees, contractors, and implementing partners who have been recently furloughed, laid off, put on administrative leave, are otherwise unemployed as a result of executive action and federal workforce reductions, and individuals who are concerned that they may fall into these categories in the near future.
- Sign up here (Note: Some coaches come from the SBM Leadership Institute, but SBM cannot guarantee the quality of individual coaches, nor is SBM liable for an individual's coaching experience.)
- House Democrats' Form: Were You Fired by President Trump?
- SBM Consultation Program
- SBM Job Board
- SBM On-Demand Webinar: Preparing for a Job Search
- SBM On-Demand Webinar: Career Paths Beyond the Academic Track
- SBM On-Demand Webinar: Navigating a Non-Academic Career Path
- SBM On-Demand Webinar: Alternatives to academic careers for behavioral scientists
- SBM On-Demand Webinar: Corporation Boot Camp for Behavior Scientists
- PLOS Biology Article: Navigating your US bioscience career into the 2030s
Support for Yourself in Challenging Times
Researchers and scholars have long been targeted in connection with their professional work. Such attacks have taken on new dimensions, fueled in part by increased use of social media and other digital means of communication. Recognizing that targeting comes in many forms and from a variety of actors, the Committee on Human Rights of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine has identified an array of resources meant to support researchers and scholars in preventing and responding to targeted attacks.
- View National Academies links here
- Additional resources from Stanford Law School, on immigration
- Recommendations for Healthcare Providers to Prepare for Contact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents (from the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics)
- Resources from Georgetown for students or scholars facing immigration problems
- NAFSA: International Students and Scholars at Risk: What to Know Right Now
Thank you to the SBM members who authored these short articles and tips for staying healthy and managing stress!
- 5 Tips To Help You Sleep When You're Stressed
- The Effects of Blue Light on Sleep
- Using Yoga and other Meditative Movement Activities to Relieve Stress
- Stress Management for a Healthy Heart
- How to Start (or Restart) Exercising
- Tips for Staying Healthy in Graduate School
Thank you to the SBM members who presented this webinar on resiliency in research careers.