Schedule your congressional visits on your own with the information below.

Congressional Meeting Request

If you have experience meeting with your lawmakers and prefer to schedule your own congressional visits, use AIMBE’s tool linked below to contact your legislative offices directly. Simply enter your name, address, email, and zip code, edit the draft email accordingly, and your meeting request will be sent directly to your Members of Congress and two Senators.

Congressional staff will contact you directly regarding your meeting that may be with the Member of Congress or their staff. Remember, meetings with staff are nearly as valuable as with the elected official. AIMBE will help arrange your transportation and provide you with meeting materials and talking points.

Please note: The best timing to send your meeting request email is no earlier than 30 days prior to your desired meeting date.

Making time for meetings with your legislators is an important part of being a trusted advisor to your Members of Congress. Congressional visits are not meet-and greets; come prepared to take about the policy issues that matter. Further tips are provided below:

• Arrive on time, never more than 5 minutes early. Most appointments are less than 30 minutes. Start on time, get to your point, and end on time.
• Don’t be surprised to meet with staff – they are the eyes and ears of lawmakers.
• Introduce yourself and exchange business cards.
• Tell your personal story about why your research matters
• Bring a show-and-tell item. Paint a picture they can remember by showing a small item like a pacemaker or guidewire (as an example).
• Do not show or bring data, charts, paper abstracts, or PowerPoint slides.
• Make your “ask” for your lawmaker to take action
• Close by taking a photo and/or invite the lawmaker or staff to visit your lab.

Starting your Visit

• Begin your meeting by acknowledging that you are representing AIMBE – an honorific society of the most accomplished medical and biological engineers responsible for the innovation and discovery that improves health, lowers costs, and/or expands access.

Introduce Yourself

• Give a brief “elevator” introduction explaining your name, area of research focus, and less than 60 seconds summarizing your credentials as a biomedical researcher.
• Make sure they know you are a constituent and live in their district.
• Explain your research focus by telling which agency funds your work and why your research wouldn’t happen without those funds. Keep it simple.

Tell a Personal Story

• Tell your lawmaker: a) why basic research is critical to discovery, b) why discovery takes time and federal financial investment, c) relate your research to a discovery/cure.
• Tell why your research is important. How will your research improve health, provide a cure, or address a problem.
• Share an interesting story. Make it personal. Research should be more than discovery but about finding a cure, giving hope, addressing an illness or disease.

Policy “Asks” and Talking Points

• There may be many policy issues you want to advocate for. Choose one to two topics maximum and make your “ask”. Click the button below for current relevant policies issues and talking points.