Advocacy
ASB is a member of the Council of Societies for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Among AIMBE’s most important roles is the promotion of public policies that foster continued advancement in medical and biological engineering (MBE). They educate and influence public officials, regulators, the media and general public about the positive impact MBE has on virtually every sector of society – from human health to a vibrant economy. AIMBE advocates for legislative, monetary and regulatory solutions that assist our engineering community at each stage of the innovation ecosystem – from the research lab to the bedside of a patient. Learn more and find resources you can use at aimbe.org.
ASB is a member of the Societies Consortium to End Harassment in STEMM. The Societies Consortium exists to help societies like us be more equitable, inclusive, and supportive. Their mission is to advance equity, excellence, and integrity in the STEMM ecosystem by eradicating the systems that create and support harassment. More information about the Societies Consortium can be found on their website: https://societiesconsortium.com/
ASB Advocacy in Action
As part of its mission to support the biomechanics community and promote impactful research, the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) regularly joins national advocacy efforts that align with our values. Below is a list of recent sign-on letters ASB has endorsed, reflecting our commitment to sustained federal research funding, scientific innovation, and the advancement of health and safety through biomechanics.
Sign-on letters ASB has joined:
June 13, 2026 – Raising Concerns Over Bureaucratic Barriers to NIH Funding
ASB co-signed a community letter to Congressional leadership outlining several severe barriers that are currently disrupting active research laboratories. The letter highlights major concerns over administrative “multi-year funding” shifts that artificially lower near-term grant rates, unprecedented delays in publishing Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), a lack of peer-review transparency, and acute federal agency staffing shortages. We urged Congress to pair robust FY 2027 funding with strong oversight to prevent staffing layoffs and preserve scientific workforce stability.
Read the Letter Here: 2026_06_13 – Community Letter – Reduce Barriers to NIH Research Funding.pdf
June 11, 2026 – Advocating for Fair Federal Grant Rules (OMB Revisions to 2 CFR)
ASB joined the petition to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a 45-day extension to the public comment period regarding sweeping proposed revisions to Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR). Because these regulations dictate the administrative and compliance guidelines governing over $1.2 trillion in federal financial assistance, including crucial research grants from the NSF and NIH, adequate time is essential for the scientific community to analyze and mitigate these hurdles.
Read the Comment Letter Here: 2026_06_11 – Multi-Sector Joint Letter CFR2 requesting additional time.pdf
March 5, 2026 – Statement Countering Proposed Federal Cuts to the NIH
ASB co-signed a public statement expressing profound disappointment with the administration’s proposed FY 2027 budget, which included a devastating 12% cut to the NIH. The statement, representing 95 scientific and medical organizations, urges Congress to protect the research ecosystem by rejecting these cuts, along with unilateral restructuring plans and administrative caps on research overhead that would result in immediate lab staff layoffs and freeze active scientific investigations.
Read the Joint Budget Statement: 2026_03_05 – NIH FY 2027 Budget Statement.pdf
March 5, 2026 – Advocating for ARPA-H Health Innovation Funding
ASB endorsed a community letter advocating for at least $1.7 billion in FY 2027 funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). ARPA-H’s entrepreneurial, high-risk, high-reward approach directly drives key biomedical discoveries of interest to biomechanics investigators; such as advanced prosthetics, AI-enabled disease treatments, tissue bioprinting, and assistive technologies for individuals with disabilities.
Read the Community Letter: 2026_03_05 – FY 2027 ARPA-H Letter.pdf
March 2, 2026 – Recommend Robust FY 2027 NIH Funding Levels
Alongside 563 members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, ASB signed on to a recommendation calling for at least $51.303 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Fiscal Year 2027. This proposed $4.087 billion (8.7%) increase over the FY 2026 enacted levels is critical to providing the sustained, predictable funding growth required to expand scientific capacity, support the next generation of biomechanical scientists, and convert promising research into medical breakthroughs.
Read the Funding Recommendation: 2026_03_02 -FY 2027 NIH Ad Hoc Group Recommendation_FINAL.pdf
October 27, 2025 – Support for Equitable Research Infrastructure and Indirect Costs
ASB united with nearly 300 national organizations to support the work of the Joint Associations Group (JAG) on Indirect Costs. The letter urges lawmakers to protect essential institutional research overhead (known as facilities and administrative (F&A) costs) which fund critical laboratory operations, maintenance, utilities, and regulatory compliance. We advocated for a transparent “Financial Accountability In Research” (FAIR) model and requested that Congress reject arbitrary caps that would destabilize biomechanics research facilities nationwide.
Read the Support Letter: 2025_10_27-Letter in Support of Work of The Joint Associations Group (JAG) on Indirect Costs.pdf
October 24, 2025 – Opposing Changes to the H-1B Visa Selection Process
ASB joined 38 science, educational, and business organizations in submitting official comments to the Department of Homeland Security opposing the proposed “Wage Level Lottery” for H-1B visas. The comment outlines how wage levels reflect career seniority rather than cross-occupation skill, meaning the proposed rule would unfairly shut out highly skilled, early-career STEM researchers, postdocs, and international graduates from U.S. universities who represent a vital global talent pipeline driving American innovation and biomechanics research.
Read the Comment Letter: 2025_10_24 – Multisector-comment-by-38-orgs-on-H1B-Weighted-Selecton.pdf
June 3, 2025 – Support for NIH Funding via Research!America
ASB signed Research!America’s letter advocating for strong NIH funding, aligning with a broad coalition of organizations working to ensure continued investment in biomedical research and innovation.
June 3, 2025 – Joined Friends of NIBIB
ASB became a member of Friends of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), reinforcing our commitment to advancing bioengineering and imaging technologies that support biomechanics research.
May 6, 2025 – NIH FY2026 Funding Recommendation
ASB joined over 500 organizations in recommending a base funding level of at least $51.3 billion for the NIH in FY2026. This collective effort underscores the essential role of NIH in advancing medical research and supporting the scientific workforce.
May 1, 2025 – NIOSH Funding Advocacy
ASB endorsed a letter advocating for continued funding of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a key supporter of biomechanics research and a vital resource for many ASB investigators.
April 23, 2025 – Support for ARPA-H
ASB signed on with 77 organizations in support of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), emphasizing the importance of high-risk, high-reward biomedical research to accelerate breakthroughs in health and medicine.
April 2, 2025 – Support for Federal Science Funding
ASB joined 55 scientific societies in urging Congress to protect and restore federal investments in science. This unified message represents over 106,000 scientists advocating for sustained research funding critical to innovation and public well-being.
ASB also supports the importance of science-informed decisions. You need science. Science needs you.
Visit: Savesciencenow.org