WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 20, 2026 — Just two weeks before the midterm elections, 138 organizations have signed an urgent letter to congressional appropriations leaders, calling for immediate action to protect federal HIV research from three threats that could disrupt clinical trials, undermine scientific independence, and jeopardize billions in taxpayer-funded research investments.
The letter, coordinated by the Save HIV Funding campaign, was delivered to 90 U.S. senators and 402 U.S. representatives — including Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray, and Representatives Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro — and identifies three critical concerns:
- Overdue clinical trial funding: An NIH funding opportunity originally forecast for August 25 has yet to be released, threatening the renewal of four major HIV clinical trial networks. The organizations urge HHS to approve the funding opportunity immediately and NIH/NIAID to publish it without further delay.
- Political interference in scientific research: Signatories call on Congress to protect NIH’s established scientific peer-review process and block measures that would place political appointees in charge of federal research grant decisions.
- Potential diversion of research funding: The letter raises concerns about an interagency agreement that could redirect potentially billions of dollars from NIAID to the Department of Defense, calling for transparency, congressional oversight, and protections in the FY2027 appropriations bill.
The consequences could extend far beyond HIV. The organizations warn that disrupted funding could remove participants from unfinished clinical trials, dismantle research teams and infrastructure, delay advances in HIV prevention and cure research, and compromise scientific work involving cancer, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, and future infectious disease outbreaks.
The letter arrives as voters prepare to elect the next Congress, whose members will help determine the future of federal research funding and oversight.