(Washington, DC) Today, the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) issued a statement upon the introduction of the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act (H.R.869) by Cong. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Cong Fred Upton (R-MI). The RISE Act would authorize $26 billion in funding to restart research, jumpstart crucial clinical trials, and repair breaks in the career pipeline that jeopardize our nation’s scientific and technological capacity. Within this $26 billion authorization, $10 billion would be specifically deployed to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to address massive setbacks in life-saving research.
In the Senate, a companion bill, (S. 289), was introduced on February 8 by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).
NAEVR Executive Director James Jorkasky stated that:
"NAEVR is pleased to endorse the Rise Act in the 117th Congress, following up on its support for the legislation in the 116th Congress, Second Session.
NAEVR is grateful for the emergency support that Congress has provided the NIH to-date for new COVID-19 related efforts, and we appreciate that lawmakers have proposed up to $15.5 billion in past legislation for both research relief and new COVID-19 efforts. As Congress proceeds with further relief activities, we urge $10 billion for the NIH to revive non-COVID research as proposed in the Rise Act.
NAEVR understands the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic academic institution laboratory shutdown has had on researchers, especially early-stage investigators. NAEVR’s educational foundation, the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR), documented this impact in a 30-minute video Conversation about the Impact of COVID-19 Lab Closures on the Next Generation of Vision Scientists. Held on September 23, 2020, and engaging 21 Emerging Vision Scientists, the EVSs detailed the effect of the shutdown on patient engagement in clinical studies, animal colonies and cell cultures, domestic and international collaborations, their training, and overall career pathway."
The AEVR EVS video conversation is available at: https://www.arvo.org/advocacy/NAEVR-AEVR-virtual-events/
The National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) is a 501(c)4 non-profit advocacy coalition comprised of 55 professional, consumer, and industry organizations involved in eye and vision research. Visit the Web site at www.eyeresearch.org.
