| Chair | Thomas J. Mariani, PhD | Rochester, NY |
| Vice Chair | Indu A. Ayappa, PhD | New York, NY |
| Committee Member | Allan I. Pack, MBChB, PhD | Philadelphia, PA |
| Committee Member | Bria Coates, MD | Chicago, IL |
| Committee Member | Catherine R. Sears, MD, ATSF | Indianapolis, IN |
| Committee Member | Hara Levy, MD | Madison, WI |
| Committee Member - Immediate Past Chair | James K. Brown, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Committee Member | Jennifer Trevor, MD | Birmingham, AL |
| Committee Member | Kristina A. Crothers, MD | Seattle, WA |
| Committee Member | Mallar Bhattacharya, MD, MSci | San Francisco, CA |
| Committee Member | Meghna Shukla, MSN, RN | DETROIT, MI |
| Committee Member | Nichole T. Tanner, MD, MSCR | Charleston, SC |
| Committee Member | Priyadarshini Kachroo, PhD | Boston, MA |
| Committee Member - PAR Representative | Susan Sherman, BS, MHA | Cincinnati, OH |
| Staff | Valerie Adelson | Washington, DC |
The principal function of the Research Advocacy Committee is to serve as a resource for the staff of the ATS Government Relations Office and to advise the ATS Executive Committee and Board of Directors on issues of policy importance and priorities for ATS action regarding research advocacy. The Research Advocacy Committee promotes the inclusion of the Society’s research agenda in the programs of relevant funding agencies and advocates for adequate funding of these programs to meet public needs, including patient-centered research that promotes health equity. It works collaboratively with the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Veterans Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to advance research in areas of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep. Working in close association with the ATS Governmental Relations Office, the Committee monitors congressional budgets and legislation with budgetary implications and advocates for research support. It should also collaborate with international societies and agencies to promote adequate funding of global research that addresses the Society’s research agenda.
Benchmarks, 2023-2024:
• Provide information and guidance to the ATS Government Relations office on federal research funding and policy issues as they relate to the research interests of the ATS and its members;
• Initiate and support efforts to develop policies promoting national research workforce diversity, equity and inclusion;
• Participate in ATS annual Hill Day in Washington DC to advocate for health research funding; focus on meeting with government officials during conference
• Report to the Executive Committee on the progress of Veterans Administration Research Advocacy Subcommittee;
• Work with ATS Chief of Documents and Patient Education to develop recommended requests of institute directors for the ATS meetings at the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration Research program;
• Report to Executive Committee on committee activities in relation to advocacy efforts and any important policy initiatives that warrant a society response;
• Proactively engage and educate “Early Career Professionals” on the benefits and methods for local and national research advocacy; perhaps host webinar not during conference; re-name workshops to emphasize 'learning how to advocate'
• Collaborate and participate in quarterly calls with the CCR, Health Policy Committee and other committees on advocacy to advance respiratory health; currently meetings happen about once a year; could improve- bi-annual between chairs may be sufficient.
• Inform and educate membership on issues pertaining to national funding agencies and opportunities, legislative issues that concern respiratory health, and opportunities for advocacy through the Research News Quarterly. All committee members will be required to contribute at least one article per year to the Research News Quarterly;
• Nominate a diverse slate of candidates for the ATS Respiratory Health Awards.
• This committee is responsible for reviewing content it has previously posted to the ATS website to determine if it should be updated and moved to the new site or archived/deleted. Using parameters established by the ATS Digital Content Committee as a guideline, committee members will make necessary modifications to ensure the content is accurate and conforms with established ATS standards. Reviews are to be completed by December 1, 2023.
