Please use the template form below to fill out your contact information. Upon filling out your contact information, our tool will automatically identify the Representative and two Senators who represent you. Once you’ve reviewed the letter, click “Send Message” and the letter will be sent to your elected officials as well as the official comment box for the Energy & Commerce Committee’s NIH Reform Report.
*If you’d like to modify the template letter, we encourage you to include areas where you can share a paragraph about the research you’re working on and how this consolidation proposal might impact your research or ability to do vision research.
I am deeply concerned about the Administration and NIH’s decision to cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15% in their February 7 order. This arbitrary cap threatens scientific research by limiting resources, undermining infrastructure, and jeopardizing workforce development.
Indirect costs are essential—not overhead. They fund lab space, compliance, equipment maintenance, and research personnel. These federally negotiated rates reflect actual institutional costs. Cutting them shifts financial burdens onto universities and states, risking fewer research projects, job losses, and higher tuition.
This decision will stall critical research on vision, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases while weakening U.S. biomedical innovation. I urge you to intervene and ensure a transparent, evidence-based review before any changes take effect. Specifically, I request:
Until these steps are completed, this cap should be rescinded. The U.S. must continue investing in research that saves lives and drives economic growth.
Thank you for your leadership. I look forward to your response.