AIMBEThe Society For Biomaterials is a proud member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s (AIMBE’s) Council of Societies. Through our partnership with AIMBE, SFB supports advocacy of policies and regulations consistent with the development of safe and effective materials used in the manufacture of medical devices, and increased funding for biomedical research and development in the US Federal Budget. This powerful advocacy tool is built to be easily added to your web resources to provide SFB members a simple access resource to look up their elected officials, learn about visiting Capitol Hill, host a Member of Congress, or write their elected lawmakers.
Advocacy with Society For Biomaterials
Request Policy Help
Request Policy Help
Request a Meeting
Visit Your Representative
Write a Letter
Write Your Lawmaker
Share Advocacy Ideas
Share Your Thoughts
Standing Up for Science with AIMBE
Never has it been more important to join AIMBE in Standing Up for Science. The future of medical and biological engineering rests in your voice to Congress and our nation’s policymakers.
Half of U.S. economic growth since WWII stems from innovation made possible by federally-funded research. More recently, federally funded studies by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contributed to the science that underlies every one of the 210 new drugs approved between 2010 and 2016.
Yet, today, the United States is rapidly losing its competitive advantage in biomedical engineering & innovation. The U.S. now ranks 6th on the Global Innovation Index, down from 1st in 2007.
Federal budget cuts have allowed the purchasing power of the National Institute of Health (NIH) to dip 20% in the past decade — resulting in a decline of the funding of qualified NIH research proposals from 30.5% to just 19.1%.
Nearly 20% of U.S. academic researchers are considering conducting research overseas due to lack of funding prospects.
Now is a critical time for researchers to get engaged and educate lawmakers about why medical and biological innovation is mission-critical to the health, well-being, and prosperity of the U.S.
Take Action! Advocate for Engineering and Medical Innovation
Show your support for medical and biological engineering. Advocate for long-term, consistent funding for our nation’s science agencies. Raise your voice for science today!
- Tell your Members of Congress how you feel about budget cuts to medical innovation and discovery. Writing a letter to your lawmakers takes 2 minutes. Do it today.
- Request a meeting with your lawmakers in Washington D.C. Visiting with your Members of Congress is simple. Learn about the process here.
- Sign-up to bring your lawmakers to your lab. Demonstrate the importance of federal funding on your campus, with a tour of your lab for your Members of Congress.
- Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper. Bring your perspective as a member of the local community to talk about how your work increases access to health care, lowers costs, or holds the promise of a cure.
- Attend a Town Hall Meeting. Raising key questions at public meetings is an effective approach to bringing science issues to the forefront.
- Call your lawmakers and voice your local perspective. Talk to your Members of Congress about the importance of federal funding for science in your community, as well as the negative effects of budget cuts.
Get the Latest News
AIMBE Flash is the fastest way to catch up with today’s news at the intersection of public policy and biomedical innovation. Each issue tells you what you need to know this week, which issues are emerging, and an interesting development. Additionally, AIMBE Flash has a curated selection of AIMBE Fellowbook News, the best place to see what the leaders of medical and biological engineering are accomplishing today. AIMBE Flash ends with the “Big Number”–a surprising statistic that is indicative of our changing world.
Stay Connected and Informed
When you join AIMBE in Standing Up for Science, we’ll keep you informed about the public policies shaping the medical and biological engineering community. We monitor and analyze policy developments and participate in coalitions to add our voice to the public policy decisions.
- Sign-up to receive our bi-weekly public policy newsletter, FLASH. AIMBE reports on the public policies and federal budget issues that affect medical and biological engineering.
- Join the AIMBE LinkedIn group to stay connected.
- Attend the AIMBE Annual Event and hear from public policy experts at the intersection of science and policy.
- Join and participate in the AIMBE Academic Council. The Council serves as a venue to come together and discuss current issues and acts as a forum to raise the national visibility and advocate for the fields of medical and biological engineering.
AIMBE is a Champion for Medicine and Engineering
Among AIMBE’s most important roles is the promotion of public policies that foster continued advancement in medical and biological engineering (MBE). We educate and influence public officials, regulators, the media and general public about the positive impact MBE has on virtually every sector of society – from human health to a vibrant economy. AIMBE advocates for legislative, monetary and regulatory solutions that assistant our engineering community at each stage of the innovation ecosystem – from the research lab to the bedside of a patient.
• Showcasing Biotech Innovations on Capitol Hill. AIMBE highlights the importance of federal funding by providing Congressional staff with live biomedical technology demonstrations from 8 teams of researchers through an interactive exhibition in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• AIMBE Congressional Lunch Briefings. Each year, AIMBE hosts a series of Congressional Lunch Briefings for Members of Congress and their staff highlighting ground-breaking medical and biological engineering research conducted by Fellows.
• AIMBE Congressional Staff Tours of FDA. This tour, and AIMBE’s congressional tours of NIH, are part of AIMBE’s expanded advocacy efforts to inform key House and Senate staffers about the role of federal funding for medical device innovation, from the early stages of discovery funded by NIH, to regulatory approval by FDA.
• University Public Policy Lecture Series. AIMBE has launched a new lecture series on the campuses of colleges and universities across the country to discuss Congress and medical and biological engineering.
• AIMBE Joins Congressional Research and Development Caucus Advisory Committee. In this role, AIMBE helps to bring important issues to the attention of Congress by shaping briefings and hearings for Members and their staff.
• AIMBE Congressional Staff Tours of NIH. AIMBE provides Congressional staff with their first look inside the NIH, witnessing cutting-edge bioengineering technologies first-hand at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) – the largest Congressional event the NIH has seen to date!
• Making the Case for Public Investments in Medical Technology. An AIMBE Voice opinion paper published by Science Translational Medicine argues Americans have always embraced innovation but today there is a failure in making the case for public investments in medical-technology.
• AIMBE Storms the Hill to Advocate for MBE. Each year during AIMBE’s Annual Event, Fellows from across the country travel to Washington, DC to meet with their Representatives and Senators to advocate the positive impact medical and biological engineering has on society.
• Educating Graduate Students about Public Policy. AIMBE hosts a 2-day Public Policy Institute for graduate students to learn from Washington insiders about how public policies and appropriations directly impact scientific discovery, research, and medical innovation. Participants hear from policy experts, industry leaders, and senior government officials about the policy landscape shaping the scientific enterprise.
