Here are our template letters, and below we have them in plaintext if you would prefer to copy/paste them directly. Feel free to modify the parts specific to your state/locality, but don't worry too much - they are mostly tallying specific elements of your email to report to the actual representative. What matters is that they see that the people care, and that they disagree with how this is being handled.
Pittsburgh specific letter [word document]
Subject: Urgent concerns regarding federal grant freezes
Dear [congressperson],
I am writing to express my deep concern over President Trump’s indefinite freezes of federal funding through the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. These pauses impede scientific progress by preventing researchers from accessing the funds they need to carry out their work.
Funding from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health has far-reaching consequences beyond academic research, including supporting the biomedical and biotechnology industries. These include some of the largest employers in Pennsylvania, and specifically Pittsburgh, such as UPMC and Highmark Health. Disruptions to these industries will negatively impact the local economy and access to healthcare in Pennsylvania. As a concerned constituent, I worry about the impacts these policies will have on the lives and well-being of myself and my local community.
The United States has always been a world leader in science and technology, and this directly contributes to our worldwide military and economic leadership. Every $1 of NIH funding generated approximately $2.46 of economic activity, resulting in an estimated $93 billion in economic activity in fiscal year 2023. I ask you to work with your colleagues in the Senate and the House to alleviate this situation as quickly as possible by renewing federal grant funding for research, for the benefit of your Pennsylvania constituents and all Americans.
Respectfully,
[name]
Subject: Urgent concerns regarding federal grant freezes
Dear [congressperson],
I am writing to express my deep concern over President Trump’s indefinite freezes of federal funding through the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. These pauses impede scientific progress by preventing researchers from accessing the funds they need to carry out their work.
Funding from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health has far-reaching consequences beyond academic research, including supporting the biomedical and biotechnology industries. The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce in the United States employs over 36 million people, representing nearly 25% of U.S. workers. Disruptions to these industries will negatively impact local economies and access to healthcare in [state]. As a concerned constituent, I worry about the impacts these policies will have on the lives and well-being of myself and my local community.
The United States has always been a world leader in science and technology, and this directly contributes to our worldwide military and economic leadership. Every $1 of NIH funding generated approximately $2.46 of economic activity, resulting in an estimated $93 billion in economic activity in fiscal year 2023. I ask you to work with your colleagues in the Senate and the House to alleviate this situation as quickly as possible by renewing federal grant funding for research, for the benefit of your [state] constituents and all Americans.
Respectfully,
[name]