On March 15th, the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program at the Department of Defense was eliminated.
There was no notice. There was no debate. At the last minute, in the fine print of the must-pass bill to keep the government open, language was slipped in that resulted in the entire $40 million budget for SCI research at the DOD – in place since 2009 – being zeroed out for 2025.
Save the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program
This program (also known by its acronym of SCIRP) has been the gold standard of SCI research in the United States. Its targeted and efficient administration, with unparalleled opportunities for people with lived experience to provide input and comments on the research being conducted, has been a shining example of how the SCI community, clinicians, and researchers can come together to work towards innovative projects with real-world applications.
We are asking Congress to restore funding for SCIRP in Fiscal Year 2026. As SCIRP represented approximately one third of the total SCI research funding in the United States, it is critical that this funding be restored.
Please take a moment and click here to contact your members of Congress to ask them to support restoring SCI research funding!
Thanks,
Steve Lieberman
Senior Director, Advocacy & Policy
United Spinal Association