NPI Commends Cures Act Passage

The National Photonics Initiative, an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, have voiced their approval of the 21st Century Cures Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill provides $4.8 billion for three key research programs over the next 10 years: Cancer Moonshot, the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative and the Precision Medicine Initiative.

“On behalf of the National Photonics Initiative, I applaud the U.S. House of Representatives and thank the bill's sponsors — Reps. Fred Upton (R-Michigan) and Diana DeGette (D-Colorado) – for their efforts to pass this meaningful legislation that directs vital funding towards research that will both revolutionize our understanding of the human brain and develop new methods to treat, combat and potentially cure cancer,” said Alan Willner, chairman of the National Photonics Initiative Steering Committee.

In September 2014, the National Photonics Initiative launched the Photonics Industry Neuroscience Group, which is comprised of industry leaders in optics and photonics. The group committed $30 million in existing and future research and development spending over the following three years to advance optics and photonics technology in support of the BRAIN Initiative. In June 2016, the National Photonics Initiative organized a consortium of scientific communities, leading members of medical technology industry, more than 350 hospitals and major patient advocacy groups to leverage $3 billion in annual private investments in cancer research toward early detection technologies of the most aggressive cancers.

“Optics and photonics plays a key role in solving the challenges facing health care today – from mapping neurons in the brain to the early detection of cancer – and the NPI is pleased that Congress recognizes that the translation of scientific advances into live-saving technological solutions will accelerate our understanding of the mind and body,” Willner said. “Our community is encouraged by the overwhelming bi-partisan support for the 21st Century Cures Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, and we urge the U.S. Senate to take similar steps to pass this potentially life-saving legislation."

The National Photonics Initiative aims to increase cooperation and coordination among U.S. industry, government and academia to advance photonics-driven fields, as well as drive U.S. funding and investment in areas of photonics critical to maintaining US economic competitiveness and national security. The initiative is led by scientific societies including the American Physical Society, the IEEE Photonics Society, the Laser Institute of America, The Optical Society and SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics.