Contact your Elected Officials
Formulate your message: It's most effective if you tell your representative why U.S. support for science is important for you, society, and the future.
Here are some examples:
Dear Senator or Representative,
I'm writing to request that you provide strong support for robust and sustained funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, and the critical research, unique scientific facilities, and expert personnel that it supports. The kind of advanced scientific research supported through the DOE Office of Science has consistently yielded insights that decades later turn out to be the foundation of transformative new technologies that benefit us all. The research on electricity and magnetism was carried out by scientists who had no idea their work would revolutionize the world. The understanding of quantum mechanics made computers possible but the scientists working on it were just trying to understand nature at a deeper level (they weren't trying to invent our computers for us). Research on accelerators and nuclear physics has revolutionized medical imaging and cancer treatment. The approximately 0.5% of the federal budget spent by the DOE and NSF on all scientific research across the board of scientific disciplines is one of the best investments this country can make and we would ALL be better off if that support was increased. That is why I'm writing to request your strong support for robust and sustained funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science.
Dear Senator or Representative,
Scientists push limits and accomplish what others might deem impossible. At the National Laboratories and the research institutions around the country, the quest to understand nature through advanced scientific research has led to advances in sophisticated computational techniques, medical applications particularly for cancer treatment, detector technologies important for homeland security as well as numerous other technologies that improve our lives. In addition, this research funded largely by the national government inspires US students to join the STEM field, attracts the best and brightest minds from around the world to contribute to US innovation, and drives technological advances in fields far removed from the original research. Funding is vital to maintain these national resources for cutting-edge discovery, science and engineering R&D, future workforce development, and continued U.S. leadership in science and technology. I'm writing to request your strong support for robust and sustained funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science.
You may also find the following American Physics Society Advocacy Tools useful: http://www.aps.org/policy/tools/index.cfm
Including the option to write to congress: http://www.congressweb.com/APSPA