ISHLT Issues Statement on Protecting the Research Enterprise That Advances Thoracic Transplantation and Patient Care
The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) has issued a new statement, Protecting the Research Enterprise That Advances Thoracic Transplantation and Patient Care, emphasizing the importance of sustaining the research infrastructure that drives discovery, innovation, and improved outcomes for patients with advanced heart and lung disease.
The statement outlines core principles ISHLT believes are essential to scientific progress, including independent peer review, stable and transparent research funding, open scientific communication, professional meetings that support education and collaboration, and international scientific partnerships.
These principles are especially important in thoracic transplantation, where patient populations are relatively small, donor organs are limited, and meaningful advances often depend on collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and countries. ISHLT notes that policies affecting research funding, scientific review, publication and presentation of research findings, scientific meetings, and international collaboration can influence the pace and quality of scientific progress worldwide.
ISHLT submitted the statement to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as part of its public comment on proposed federal funding rules affecting scientific research (Docket ID: OMB-2026-0034). In its cover letter, ISHLT expressed concern that several aspects of the proposed regulatory changes depart from principles that support rigorous, independent, collaborative, and openly communicated scientific research. The Society respectfully requested that the proposed regulations be revised to better align with those principles.