AAI monitors and responds to policy, legislative, and regulatory initiatives relevant to immunologists and the biomedical research community. This includes advocating for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health. The AAI public affairs program is led by the AAI Committee on Public Affairs and implemented by the AAI public affairs staff.
ANIMALS IN RESEARCH
AAI supports the humane use of animals in biomedical research. Such research has led to significant advances in both animal and human health.
Learn More
FEDERAL BUDGET
The Federal budget process lays the groundwork for the annual appropriations bills that provide funding to agencies that support biomedical research and science, like NIH. The President initiates this process by releasing his/her budget proposal and Congress follows suit by passing a budget in the House, a budget in the Senate, and ultimately a joint House-Senate budget resolution.
Learn More
NIH APPROPRIATIONS
NIH is funded through annual appropriations bills. A key part of the AAI Public Affairs mission is to advocate for robust, sustained, and predictable funding for NIH.
Learn More
NIH PEER REVIEW
The rigorous, two-tiered peer review system at NIH is critically important to the biomedical research enterprise. However, it is a system that is continually changing. AAI works to monitor, and, as necessary, respond to those changes.
Learn More
PUBLIC HEALTH AND BIOSECURITY
AAI monitors and responds to potential legislative, regulatory, and/or other policy changes that affect public health and biosecurity. Key issues include responding to outbreaks and pandemics, including Ebola virus, Zika virus, and pandemic influenza; informing the public and policymakers about the safety and efficacy of vaccines; and monitoring regulations related to the use of select agents and toxins.
Learn More
REGULATORY BURDEN
Federally-funded biomedical research is, for good reason, governed by many rules to ensure that it is transparent, safe, and ethical, while also making sure that researchers and research institutions are accountable. However, rules and regulations can be duplicative and overly-burdensome, resulting in lost productivity. AAI analyzes the regulatory landscape and provides recommendations to make sure the Federal government is striking the right balance.
Learn More