Federal funding package boosts vision research funding by $30 million

Nearly $30 million for vision research is included in the fiscal year 2019 spending package, minibus HR6157, which was signed by President Donald J. Trump on Sept. 28.

The package includes the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) and Defense spending bills, as well as a continuing resolution that funds the government through Dec. 7 for any agencies where FY2019 appropriations have not been finalized, according to an announcement from the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research.

The spending bill includes a $2 billion (5.4%) NIH increase to a funding level of $39.08 billion and a $24.2 million (3.1%) NEI increase to a funding level of $796.5 million.

Along with the $5 million increase in the FY2019 Department of Defense (DOD)/Vision Research Program (VRP) to a funding level of $20 million, that makes nearly $30 million for vision research in FY2019 between NEI and DOD/VRP, according to NAEVR.

On Sept. 27, a day before the President signed the FY2019 spending package, the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) hosted 20 emerging vision scientists (EVSs) at the fourth annual EVS Day on Capitol Hill.

On Sept. 28, NAEVR hosted the scientists in meetings with their congressional delegates where they thanked Congressmembers for the increases and emphasized the need for continued support.

They were joined in advocacy by Research to Prevent Blindness and representatives of NAEVR/AEVR member organization American Macular Degeneration Foundation at AEVR’s International AMD Awareness Week Congressional Briefing, held during the EVS events.