AEVR/NAEVR News

AEVR/NAEVR News

Continuing Resolution Funds Government in FY2022 until February 18, 2022

The current Continuing Resolution (CR), signed by President Biden on December 3 after the prior CR expired, funds the government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 until February 18, 2022. For the National Eye Institute (NEI), for example, the 77 days of the current CR is 21% of 365 days, meaning that NEI funding is limited to 21% of its FY2021 budget during this timeframe. This is why NAEVR has advocated that finalizing FY2022 appropriations is so important – CRs have a chilling effect on research, with potential delayed funding for grants and researchers potentially seeking private “bridge” funding, as well as no new Agency programs. 

With the debt limit issue resolved, Congress was to proceed with the President’s Build Back Better health and environmental package. However, yesterday the President recognized that BBB will not get passed by year’s end as planned. That affects the timing of final FY2022 appropriations, as many members don’t want to proceed with finalizing discretionary spending until they know BBB mandatory spending. Additionally, several of the current House-passed FY2022 spending bills — especially the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) bill that contains NIH/NEI funding — have policy riders that may make them unpassable, and some Members still want parity of defense spending with domestic spending. So Capitol Hill is rife with the usual talk of a potential year-long CR — however, that would obviate member earmarks that returned this year in appropriations. Stay tuned….

Dr. Collins Steps Down, Dr. Tabak to Serve as Acting NIH Director

As previously announced, NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD is stepping down as of December 19. Principal Deputy Director Larry Tabak, DDS, PhD will serve as the Acting NIH Director. NAEVR has had a long history with Dr. Tabak, who has chaired many NIH committee meetings at which NAEVR has provided testimony/comments. Read more.

NAEVR Comments on ARPA-H in Cures 2.0 Legislation

On December 16, NAEVR submitted comments to House Energy & Commerce Committee members Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Fred Upton (R-MI) on H.R. 6000, the 21st Century Cures Act 2.0 legislation that would update the original bill passed in December 2016 and for which NAEVR advocated. NAEVR confined its comments to the “Research” section, commenting on “guiding principles” in the organization, structure and function of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health (ARPA-H), proposed by President Biden in his FY2022 budget. NAEVR also supported the inclusion of the Research Investment to Spark the Economy the Economy (RISE) Act in the bill, which is a bipartisan (H.R. 869/S. 289) bill that would provide $25 billion in “research recovery” funding to scientific agencies, including $10 B for NIH, due to pandemic-related lab shutdowns/slowdowns.

Read NAEVR’s comments here. 

NAEVR/AEVR Boards Welcome New Director/Say Goodbye to Term-Limited Director

During a December 9 call, each the Board of NAEVR and AEVR elected Joan O’Brien, MD (Chair, Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Health System/Director, Scheie Eye Institute) as a Director in the class of 2021-2024. The Boards also recognized term-limited Director and former NAEVR/AEVR Boards President Peter McDonnell, MD, (Director, Wilmer Eye Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) for his service. 

Read the NAEVR/AEVR press release here.