FASEB Advocacy Town Hall Highlights the Power of Polling

By: Ellen Kuo
Friday, May 15, 2026
Every first and third Tuesday of the month at noon Eastern, FASEB holds an Advocacy Town Hall meeting open to members of FASEB societies and the public. The meetings last one hour and include time for participants’ questions and answers. Many meetings feature special guests to discuss advocacy strategies, in addition to providing updates from Capitol Hill and federal agencies. Recent meetings have covered the role of activism versus traditional advocacy tactics, the latest status of fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills, science policy issues related to animal research, the state of grant funding outflow from NIH and NSF, and the interplay of various policy issues impacting the attention of lawmakers seeking to complete FY 2027 non-defense spending bills.

On May 5, our latest town hall guest was Jarrett Lewis, a Partner at Public Opinion Strategies, a national political and public affairs research firm, whose clients include leading political figures, Fortune 500 companies, and major associations. He came to discuss the March 2025 polling results the firm completed for United for Cures, a coalition of patients, families, and advocacy groups focused on continued investment in medical research leading to treatment and cures for diseases.  

During the live event, Lewis explained that the 1,500 registered voters answered their polling, and more than six-in-ten voters say it is “very” important for the United States to be the global leader in medical research with nearly all voters saying it is “important.”  Voters overwhelmingly support federal funding for medical research, and 9-in-10 voters believe federally funded medical research has an impact on the health of themselves and their families.  When comparing results from a poll the company did in June 2025 to the March 2026 results, both said that 62 percent think the federal government is spending  “too little on medical research.” 

Audience members learned that in discussing their lab research funded by the National Institutes of Health, they need to communicate to their network that they are doing medical research and how it could improve future diagnostics and treatment for diseases to make that personal connection. This is critical to achieving public understanding and support. They also learned how the polling results are part of a larger toolbox of advocacy tactics that show lawmakers there is not a strong negative backlash for elected officials who support funding for medical research. 

As part of the advocacy toolbox, United for Cures offers the opportunity for you to share your story on camera to explain why cures matter. They will also be hosting a May 19 Hill Day to talk to lawmakers.

A previous town hall guest speaker was Carrie Wolinetz, Principal and Chair of the Lewis-Burke Associates Health and Bioscience Innovation Policy Practice Group. She provided her insights on the current operations at the National Institutes of Health, the impact of recent policy changes impacting multi-year funding, efforts to cap administrative costs on grants, and the status of efforts to appoint new members to fill vacancies on the agency’s advisory committees.  

If you have not joined one of our townhalls, please register to receive the Zoom link. Registering also ensures that you receive the follow-up email from FASEB summarizing the meeting.