Policy & Advocacy

Protecting the Research People with Parkinson’s Are Counting On

🧠 What will you learn in this article?

  • What changes have been proposed for federal research grants
  • Why those changes could matter for Parkinson’s research and clinical trials
  • What Congress has done so far
  • What the Parkinson’s Foundation is asking policymakers to do next
The White House in Washington DC.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) research takes years. A clinical trial may depend on hundreds of participants, researchers and healthcare professionals working together over a long period of time. 

To complete these studies, scientists need stable, predictable funding to complete studies. People who volunteer for clinical trials deserve confidence that the research they participate in can continue.

Earlier this year, proposed changes to federal research grant rules raised concerns that political appointees without scientific backgrounds could have greater influence over which research receives funding and whether existing grants can continue.

For the Parkinson’s community, that matters because progress toward better treatments and a cure depends on research that can be carried through to completion.

Where Parkinson’s Research Stands

Congress temporarily blocked the proposed changes through December 11. That pause is important, but it is temporary. Under the proposed rule, research grants could be canceled at any time for any reason. That uncertainty makes it harder for researchers to plan studies, recruit participants, retain staff and follow promising discoveries wherever the science leads. 

Why the Parkinson’s Foundation is Speaking Up

The Parkinson’s Foundation is working alongside other patient and research organizations to protect a stable, predictable research environment.

"People with Parkinson’s are counting on research to deliver better treatments and a cure,” said Andi Lipstein Fristedt, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Policy Officer. “Giving political appointees greater power to stop that work puts progress at risk. Research funding decisions should be guided by scientific expertise, and researchers need stable support to see promising studies through.”

The Administration can withdraw or revise the proposal. If the issue remains unresolved, Congress can continue protecting medical research beyond December 11.

Make Your Voice Heard

The search for better Parkinson’s treatments and a cure depends on strong, stable medical research.

Use our Advocacy Center now to tell Congress to protect federally funded medical research and the people with Parkinson’s who depend on it.

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