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Urgent Call to Action: Protect NIDILRR and the Burn Model System Program

Thursday, April 24, 2025

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Dear ABA members,

On behalf of the American Burn Association, I want to bring a critical and concerning development to your immediate attention: the proposed elimination of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Over the past several days, multiple reports have confirmed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is actively considering eliminating NIDILRR funding. This move would be devastating for the burn care and survivor community.

As many of you know, NIDILRR has been a cornerstone funder of the Burn Model System Program, providing vital support for research that has advanced long-term care, rehabilitation, and quality of life for burn survivors. Alongside the Department of Defense, NIDILRR remains one of the few consistent sources of federal investment in burn research. Its elimination would threaten decades of progress and innovation.

Earlier this month, ABA joined other organizations for a national Virtual Advocacy Day, where we called for increased funding for the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Burn Model Systems (BMS) programs. However, considering these recent developments, the urgency of our advocacy has grown even more serious.

The elimination of NIDILRR would be a significant setback for our burn care community, putting at risk critical research on the physical, emotional, and social outcomes after burn injury, and directly impacting survivors, families, and care teams across the nation.

Why NIDILRR Funding Matters to the Burn Care Community:

  • NIDILRR is one of the few pillars of federal burn research support.
    Without it, there would be a critical gap in research dedicated to the long-term recovery needs of burn survivors.

  • The Burn Model System Program drives national advances in burn recovery.
    BMS-funded research has led to major innovations in physical rehabilitation, psychological support models, and community reintegration for survivors.

  • NIDILRR-funded research improves outcomes.
    Studies have improved treatments for pain management, PTSD, return-to-work programs, and long-term health, directly shaping best practices across burn centers.

  • Eliminating NIDILRR would slow innovation and collaboration.
    Without this funding, burn centers could see reduced innovation, weakened research infrastructure, and fewer resources for survivors’ recovery journeys.

  • The burn community is small but deeply impacted.
    Though smaller in size compared to other trauma communities, the needs of burn survivors are profound, and federal investment is essential to ensure they are not left behind.

What You Can Do Now:

  1. Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to protect the Burn Model Systems Program and save NIDILRR funding. Go to congress.gov/members/find-your-member  to find your Representative and Senators.

  2. Click your member’s name to visit their official website (or search for it online). Look for the “Contact” tab—usually found at the top of the page.

  3. Scroll down and use the sample message below as a starting point. You’re encouraged to personalize it with your experience.

  4. Share the urgency with your networks, colleagues, and institutions to amplify the message.

  5. Stay engaged as ABA continues to monitor this issue and will provide additional tools and alerts as needed.

Our voices are strong, our message is mighty, and now is the time to act.

Thank you for your continued advocacy, leadership, and commitment to advancing burn care and research.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Carter, MD, FABA
President, American Burn Association

SAMPLE LETTER

[Your Name]
[Your Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Email Address]
[Date]

The Honorable [First Name Last Name]
[Office Address of Member of Congress]
[City, State ZIP]

-OR-

Subject Line: Protect Burn Survivors: Preserve NIDILRR Funding

Dear [Senator/Representative Last Name],

As a burn care professional and an American Burn Association (ABA) member, I urge you to protect funding for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

NIDILRR supports the Burn Model System Program, one of the only federal efforts focused on long-term burn recovery. Burn injuries can strike at any time — in house fires, accidents, or large-scale disasters. When they do, survivors and burn care teams rely on the tools developed through this research.

Eliminating NIDILRR would:

  • Disrupt essential research and innovation.

  • Undermine the burn center infrastructure and survivor care.

  • Leave a small but deeply impacted community without federal support.

This is more than a funding issue. It’s about ensuring our capacity to help people rebuild their lives after trauma.

Please:

  1. Oppose eliminating NIDILRR funding.

  2. Support full funding for the Burn Model System Program.

Thank you for standing with burn survivors and the professionals who care for them.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Professional Title or Affiliation]
[Optional: Add a one-sentence personal connection to burn care.]