Among AIMBE’s most important roles is the promotion of public policies that foster continued advancement in medical and biological engineering (MBE). We educate public officials, regulators, the media and general public about the positive impact MBE has on virtually every sector of society. AIMBE advocates for public policy solutions that assistant our community at each stage of the innovation ecosystem–from the research lab to the bedside of a patient.

Bringing Engineers to Washington

• Showcasing Biotech Innovations on Capitol Hill. AIMBE highlights the importance of federal science funding by providing Congressional staff with live bioengineering demos through an interactive exhibition.
• AIMBE Advocates for NSF. AIMBE is a member of the Coalition for National Science Funding–an alliance of over 140 professional organizations and universities–and advocates for increasing federal investments in NSF.
• AIMBE Congressional Lunch Briefings. AIMBE hosts a series of Congressional Lunch Briefings for Members of Congress and their staff highlighting ground-breaking medical and biological engineering research.
• 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 lawmakers and advocate for medical and biological engineering.

Making the Case for Federal Investments in Engineering and Medicine

• 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 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.

Educating the Next Generation on Public Policy

• Educating Graduate Students about Public Policy. AIMBE hosts a 2-day workshop for graduate students to learn from Washington insiders about how public policies impact biomedical engineering innovation.