Groups to launch campaign to keep federal research funding

A coalition of groups is launching a campaign to emphasize federal funding for medical research ahead of negotiations on the "fiscal cliff."

Research!America and several dozen patient, industry and other health organizations have planned a week of advocacy starting Monday to convince lawmakers to "champion medical innovation."

"With so much at stake, research advocates must join forces to fight for lifesaving research, which is also a fight for American innovation and American jobs," said Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research!America, in a statement.

"Together, we will work to persuade lawmakers to take a stand against arbitrary budget cuts in order to protect the nation’s health and maintain our global competitiveness."

With the election over, Congress is preparing to confront a combination of expiring tax rates and automatic spending cuts that could threaten the U.S. economy if not addressed by Jan. 1.

The automatic cuts would reduce budgets at federal health agencies by $3.8 billion unless Congress to stop them, according to Research!America.

Next week's effort will involve meetings on Capitol Hill, advertisements, policy forums and social media campaigning, the group said.

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