Dear GSA Community, 

In January, the Senate passed 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—including you, as a member of our genetics community—have been steadfast in advocating for federal research funding. We recognize your hard work to protect the scientific enterprise and to showcase the immeasurable importance of research funding for basic science. While much work remains, your advocacy has made a difference during a time filled with 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 remains in effect, limiting the availability of funds for new or renewing NIH awards

Your continued engagement matters. The stories and data you shared are compelling: impacts to your professional and academic journeys, your trainees’ experiences, the ways recent changes have affected your state and local economies, anecdotes of scientists moving abroad to continue their research, and more. These stories were used to write a series of blog posts on Genes to Genomes detailing the broader impact to the scientific enterprise and to our community and some of them were used to provide examples of these impacts during meetings with elected members of Congress. GSA’s  latest virtual Hill Day, held in September and October 2025 in partnership with the Coalition for Life Sciences, offered scientists a chance to share stories with members of Congress and staffers. We held 42 meetings across 15 states and Washington, DC. 

Each of you plays a key role in helping members of Congress understand the real-world impacts of reduced funding. We will continue to share policy updates and advocacy resources. Please stay tuned for details about a virtual Hill Day in 2026. Thank you for standing up for science and for being part of our community. 

GSA Executive Committee

Cassandra Extavour, 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

Tracey DePellegrin, GSA Executive Director

Please consider sharing your story of how policy changes have affected you. 

Questions? Email society@genetics-gsa.org. 

View all posts by Editorial Staff »

Read more in