Research!America President Mary Woolley's presentation at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities' Annual Meeting, "Where Do We Go From Here? Advocacy for Research After the Election," November 10, 2008.

1. Where Do We Go From Here? Advocacy for Research After the Election Mary Woolley, President, Research!America Association of University Centers on Disabilities Annual Meeting November 10, 2008, Washington, DC

3. “ I am a long‐time supporter of mental health parity. … I strongly support mental health fairness and parity of mental health coverage in all federal health programs.” – President-Elect Barack Obama, in his response to the 2008 Your Candidates-Your Health voter education initiative

4. “ I believe that the U.S. has the potential to lose its global competitive edge in science, technology and innovation unless we take steps to change the current trend. …I strongly support increasing funding for the NIH.” – President-Elect Barack Obama, Your Candidates-Your Health response

6. Your Candidates-Your Health Partners

7. For Barack Obama 2008, Tim Westmoreland, JD For John McCain 2008, Ike Brannon, PhD The New York Times’ David Leonhardt moderated the event Research!America’s Presidential Health & Economic Policy Discussion Westmoreland: Obama will double research funding within10 years.

11. 2009 Research Budget Update Continuing Resolution (CR) in effect until March 6, 2009, keeping funding at FY08 levels Potential for $1.9 billion for NIH in new economic stimulus package

16. Tools You Can Use: State Economic Impact Data www.researchamerica.org/state_econ Profiles of each state Highlights from local economic impact studies Evidence that research creates good jobs

17. Tools You Can Use: Research Funding by State www.researchamerica.org/state_funding

18. Tools You Can Use: U.S. Investment in Health R&D Source: Research!America, Investment in U.S. Health Research 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Tracking Spending by Sector

20. Tools You Can Use: Fact Sheets

22. “… public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.” – Abraham Lincoln

23. “ As a member of the U.S. Senate, it is incumbent upon me to hear the public voice about important issues. Research!America, through its national surveys, gives me added evidence of the importance of medical and health research to our citizenry.” –Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member, LHHS Subcommittee

24. Most Important Long-Term Challenges Facing Our Nation Source: National Survey, 2008 Harris Interactive for Research!America and ScienceDebate2008.com In your opinion, which of the following, if any, are the most serious long-term issues facing the country?

25. U.S. Does Not Have Best Health Care System Do you believe that the United States has the best health care system in the world? Source: National Poll, 2008, fielded September 24-29 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

26. Research Is A Solution to Rising Health Care Costs When it comes to rising health care costs, would you say research to improve health is part of the problem or part of the solution? Source: National Poll, 2008, fielded September 24-29 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

27. Americans Say Not Enough Spent on Research In 2007, the U.S. spent 5 and a half cents of each health dollar on research to prevent, cure and treat disease and disability. Do you think that is too much, the right amount, or not enough? Source: National Poll, 2008, fielded September 24-29 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

28. Americans Willing to Pay More for Medical Research Would you be willing to pay $1 per week more in taxes if you were certain that all the money would be spent for additional medical research, or not? Source: National Poll, 2008, fielded September 24-29 Charlton Research Company for Research!America

29. Americans Rank Scientist as Prestigious Occupation Source: Bridging the Sciences Survey, 2006 Charlton Research Company for Research!America I am going to read off a number of different occupations. For each, would you tell me if you feel it is an occupation of very great prestige, considerable prestige, some prestige or hardly any prestige at all? {percent saying “very great prestige”}

30. Most Americans Can’t Name a Living Scientist Source: Bridging the Sciences Survey, 2006 Charlton Research Company for Research!America Can you give me the name of a living scientist?

31. “ The people we really listen to are the voters. Not once have I heard anyone at a public meeting ask me, ‘what are you doing for medical research?’ Not even from a researcher!” – Rep. Mike Simpson (ID), Appropriations Committee Member

38. Prematurity THEN… deaths of newborns from respiratory distress syndrome totaled more than 10,000 a year in the 1950s NOW… with artificial lung surfactant, deaths of premature newborns from RDS have de-creased to less than 1,000 in 2002 IMAGINE… preventing pre-mature births completely

39. Intellectual Disabilities THEN… giving aspirin to children was typical. NOW… thanks to research, we know children who take aspirin can develop Reye’s syndrome, which may cause brain damage. IMAGINE… what other intellectual disability-causing conditions and diseases could be prevented with more research.

44. Lead the Movement to Make Advocacy Part of the Research Training Curriculum Principles of Clinical and Translational Science , David Robertson and Gordon H. Williams, Editors. Elsevier, 2008. New Chapter: Clinical Research in the Public Eye By Mary Woolley

45. What You Can Do NOW “ So, what can each of us do in the next few months to substantially increase the prob-ability that we will have elected officials who will make research a very high priority? I'm talking about much more than … paying your dues to a professional society or making a contribution to a voluntary health association.” The Honorable John Edward Porter Research!America Chair, in Science magazine, September 26, 2008

48. As Thanksgiving approaches, Research!America and the leading U.S. public health organizations ask Americans to give special thanks to their state and local “public health heroes” who protect the nation’s health throughout the year. www.publichealththankyouday.org

49. “ The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; the belief in things not seen; the belief that there are better days ahead.” Senator Barack Obama (IL), speaking at the 2004 Democratic Convention, July 27, 2004.

50. www.researchamerica.org