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Congressional Committees

Several committees in the U.S. Congress are relevant to neuroscience through their relationship with NIH, NSF, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

An authorizing bill is a piece of legislation that creates, continues, or modifies an agency, program, or activity. It also can establish the organizational structure of an agency and outline its responsibilities. Additionally, an authorizing measure can provide guidance on funding levels, but it does not directly fund the agency, program, or activity, nor is it binding.  Depending on the topic and content of the authorizing bill, it is referred to a committee of jurisdiction that oversees the policies and activities proposed in the bill. 

An appropriations bill is a piece of legislation that gives budget authority to fund specific agencies, programs, or activities.  The House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Appropriations oversees appropriations bills and the appropriations process. Under each committee there are 12 subcommittees that allocates money to specific agencies, programs, and activities. Each subcommittee must develop a bill that can be passed by both the House and Senate and signed by the President before taking effect.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The NIH is a group of 27 institutes and agencies that are overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A total of 2,500 research institutions are supported by NIH, with research areas spanning more than 1,000 neurological and neurodegenerative diseases including schizophrenia, TBI, autism, Parkinson’s disease, etc. NIH funding is appropriated by Congress from the House and Senate Appropriations committees and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) subcommittees. 

Review and share Making the Case for NIH Funding.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

The NSF is an independent federal agency governed by 1 director and a 24-member National Science Board. NSF is the second largest funder of biomedical research, and its funding sources around 24 percent of all federally supported basic research. This research lays the foundation for neuroscience through discoveries in areas such as chemistry, physics, and computer science. NSF funding is appropriated by Congress from the House and Senate Appropriations committees and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) subcommittees. 

 Review and share Making the Case for NSF Funding.

Department of Defense (DoD)

The DoD is the overarching agency pertaining to national defense, including defense research. Funding from the DoD plays a critical role in supporting neuroscience research, in areas related to prosthetics, brain trauma, and PTSD. DoD funding is appropriated by Congress from the House and Senate Appropriations committees and Defense subcommittees.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

The VA is responsible for all care of veterans. Funding from the VA plays a critical role in supporting neuroscience research, in areas related to PTSD, brain trauma, and clinical treatments. VA funding is appropriated by Congress from the House and Senate Appropriations committees and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) subcommittees.

Check if your members of Congress sit on any of these committees.