#MEAction is actively campaigning for the NIH to fund the ME/CFS Research Roadmap – the most comprehensive, strategic plan for ME/CFS research to-date. This roadmap is our best chance to secure the federal investment needed for clinical trials, biomarker discovery and real hope for our community. Currently, the NIH has dedicated ZERO dollars to fund this critical roadmap. 

 

Letters: Most recently, we sent this letter to the NIH director, Dr. Bhattacharya, urging him to allocate $50 million to fund the ME/CFS Research Roadmap. We are coordinating with the Director’s office to schedule a date to meet with Dr. Bhattacharya. 

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In October 2024, we sent a similar letter to then-NIH director, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, with the same demand. (The letter was well received by the previous administration’s NIH leaders and we were instructed to re-send the letter once the new NIH director was confirmed.)  

 

Advocating on Two Fronts: We are advocating for funding for the ME/CFS Research Roadmap on two fronts: direct funding from the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and congressional support. Historically, the most robust funding has come from the Department of the Director within the NIH and that is why we are petitioning the NIH director to fund the roadmap. Meanwhile, as a result of our joint advocacy work with #NotJustFatigue, the Senate appropriations committee recently included language about “the urgent need to advance research for ME/CFS.”

About the ME/CFS Research Roadmap: The ME/CFS Research Roadmap was developed by a working group of foremost experts on ME/CFS, and community members (including #MEAction), and presented at an NIH council meeting in May, 2024. The roadmap outlines how to advance ME/CFS research with a focus on delivering clinical trials – a vital step toward delivering effective treatments for our community.