The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced a plan to restructure several national health institutions – including the National Eye Institute (NEI), which plays a crucial role in supporting vision research and breakthroughs.
We need your help in sharing perspectives and concerns with the NIH about why merging the NEI with other institutes could have a detrimental impact on research, funding and the overall focus on eye health.
The NIH plans to merge the NEI into a newly formed National Institute on Neuroscience and Brain Research, along with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
With the NEI’s legacy as a leading institution for eye research and public health, its role in driving innovation in eye care and research has benefitted people around the world. Under this proposed merger, eye research and care would be competing for attention and funding from numerous other fields – meaning the scientists, researchers, and all involved in doing this important work to help conserve, improve, and restore vision may see decreased support from what has been one of the most important funding arms of vision research.
The proposed changes are now available for public comment – we invite you to share concerns or perspectives (see below example) with the NIH by emailing . The deadline to submit comments is August 16.
To make it easier for you to voice your concern, below is an example of an email you can send to the NIH. We hope you’ll join us in sharing why this proposed change could have negative implications for the future of vision research and eye care!
Example email to the NIH about its plans to restructure several health institutions, including the NEI — feel free to use this word-for-word
Subject line: Concerns About NIH Plans for the National Eye Institute
To Whom It May Concern,
I am reaching out regarding the proposed merger of the National Eye Institute (NEI) into a newly formed National Institute on Neuroscience and Brain Research, along with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The NEI has been instrumental in supporting the important vision research undertaken by scientists across the nation, contributing to breakthroughs and eye care that is helping to conserve, improve and restore vision to countless people worldwide. If the NEI were to merge with neuroscience, brain research, dental and craniofacial research, and neurological disorders and stroke, the many scientists who are dedicated to researching eye disease and impairment would be forced to compete for funding and attention.
I am deeply concerned that this merger will result in decreased support and funding for not only vision care and research, but each of the subspecialties that will be merged together. Furthermore, it appears that the concept of vision research has been dropped from the name of the new Institute entirely, perhaps signaling that focus and spending on this important part of public health will be deprioritized.
I urge you to reconsider this merger. Our eyes are the window to the world, but something that so many people take for granted until their vision is impaired. Please do not take the importance of the NEI for granted until it is too late.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME HERE]