Friend,
Welcome back to another school year of transformative advocacy and activism! To new UAEM members, we are beyond thrilled to see your interest and enthusiasm and can’t wait to see the impact you will have. Last year, we saw students push crucial health policy bills in the state legislature, organize a North America-wide conference, and host amazing campus workshops. As your communications team, we want to remind you that whether you are returning to your campus chapter or taking your first steps into health equity work, your energy and commitment are what drive this movement forward, and allow us to realize a world where healthcare is a human right.
Our mission sits at the crucial intersection of power, access, and inclusive innovation. University labs can be credited for numerous life-saving medical therapies. However, these innovations are ultimately ineffective when they remain out of reach for communities that need them most. Through chapters’ workshops and campaigns, we mobilize and empower our university communities with the skills and knowledge to further global medicines access.
As we dive into the work ahead, we encourage you to reflect on the motivation that brought you to UAEM. Allow your personal and community experiences to inform your policy campaigns, seek diverse perspectives in your discussions to orient your advocacy work, and support and learn from each other. The path to health justice requires perseverance and resilience, but our community and international presence can enact real systemic change for access to medicines.
Onward,
UAEM Communications Committee
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University Access Dashboard Launch
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The UAEM University Access Dashboard committee has launched a new tool for university transparency and accountability. In this new iteration of the University Report Card, the dashboard is a living tool for advocates to evaluate their university’s commitments to accessible health innovation. The dashboard launched with 30 U.S. universities, and will be expanding to universities in Canada and Europe this fall.
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[Above] Three members of UAEM's University Access Dashboard Team present initial findings from the tool.
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A New Tool for Chapter Access Campaigns
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This summer, the UAEM Empowerment Committee launched the How to Grow Your Chapter course, training members to advocate effectively for the Affordable Access Plan at their universities. This training is an expansion of the UAEM North America Chapter Handbook, and includes information, resources, and insights critical to winning university policy change.
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2026-2027 Coordinating Committee Introduction
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We are excited to introduce our 2026-2027 Coordinating Committee (CC)! The CC is made up of students and alumni from across North America who lead UAEM campaigns and support the work of the UAEM chapter network.
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[Above] UAEM's 2025-2026 Coordinating Committee gathers in Washington, D.C. to discuss campaign strategy.
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FDAAA 801 Compliance Outreach and Impact Analysis
August 4, 2026
Many clinical trial sponsors, often universities, fail to comply with FDA requirements to publicly report trial results within one year, jeopardizing clinical trial transparency and informed health decisions. This report discusses what UAEM is doing about it.
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Structural Inequities in Sickle Cell Disease Research
July 6, 2026
Sickle cell disease research in the U.S. has significant disparities in clinical trial design, participation, and funding. UAEM's Race and Health Equity team details these structural barriers and proposes recommendations to improve trial design, expand access, and align funding with disease burden.
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Weighing In on U.S. Policy
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Protect U.S. Research
U.S. Office of Management and Budget
July 10, 2026
In May, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget issued a proposed rule that would overhaul the way that federal research grants are governed in the U.S., threatening the system that has resulted in countless lifesaving biomedical innovations. In response, UAEM submitted a comment expressing strong opposition to the proposed expansion of agency discretion in funding decisions and the proposed expansion of agencies’ grant termination and suspension authorities. Read UAEM’s Comment.
Policy Options to Lower Drug Prices
Senate Finance Committee
August 17, 2026
In response to the Senate Finance Committee’s Request for Information on new policies to lower drug prices, UAEM submitted comments focused on how Congress must (1) Increase funding for basic and translational research and pair that investment with access planning requirements; and (2) Increase clinical trial participation in the US and make the clinical trial process more efficient and affordable while preserving rigorous review processes and patient protections. Read UAEM’s Comment.
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Excited for what UAEM is preparing for this upcoming school year? Support us further by contributing to our mission of advocating for equitable access to medicines for all.
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The Dose is brought to you by the UAEM North America Communications Team.
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