05/15/2025

AMSNY Statement: FY26 State Budget Boosts Medical Research, Programs and Scholarships for Students Pursuing Medical Education

$10M investment in NYFIRST strengthens our scientific workforce

$4.89M investment in our healthcare workforce improves the health of all New Yorkers

Jonathan Teyan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Associated Medical Schools of New York, the consortium of the public and private medical schools in the state, issued the following statement in response to the newly enacted New York State FY26 Budget:

“With the prospect of steep cuts to federal biomedical research funding, New York’s investment in our scientific workforce has never been more critical—not just for innovation, but for job creation and economic growth. We applaud Governor Hochul and the Legislature for investing in the New York Fund for Innovation in Research and Scientific Talent (NYFIRST) and for their unwavering commitment to strengthening our state’s research infrastructure, ensuring we remain well positioned to attract the very best scientists and drive new discoveries in New York State.

Since its inception in 2018, NYFIRST has helped recruit nine world-renowned researchers in cancer, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric diseases to New York’s medical schools – driving scientific breakthroughs and fueling the growth of biomedical startups. Research at these institutions supports 17,000 jobs and generates over $3.4 billion annually for the state’s economy.

With a reappropriation of $10 million, New York will continue to be a global leader in biomedical sciences. While there are challenges ahead, AMSNY and our member medical schools appreciate the strong partnership with New York State to provide stability and advance biomedical science, which contributes to our economy and gives New Yorkers access to the latest treatments and cures.

We are also deeply grateful that the Governor and State Legislature have once again supported expanding access to health care for all New Yorkers by investing in the next generations of doctors. The $3.644 million allocated to the AMSNY Scholars in Medicine and Science programs will provide opportunities and support for more than 950 aspiring physicians. The legislature’s $1.25M investment in the AMSNY Scholarship in Medicine will support 23 students by reducing financial barriers to medical school and will help build a physician workforce dedicated to serving communities across the state.

On behalf of the New York medical school community, we thank Governor Hochul, her administration, and the NYS Assembly and Senate for their leadership and investment in the future of health and science.”

The new budget also includes:

  • Full funding restoration for the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program (ECRIP) at $3.445M. ECRIP provides Center awards to New York State teaching hospitals in order to make these institutions more competitive for federal funding. 
  • $8.5M for the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (NY SCIRP). NY SCIRP has supported neurological spinal cord injury scientific research projects from leading New York State researchers to find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
  • $10M re-appropriated to the New York Fund for Innovation in Research and Scientific Talent Program (NYFIRST). The NY FIRST medical school grant program provides capital funding to recruit and retain exceptional life science researchers focused on translational research by supporting the establishment or upgrading of the researchers’ laboratories. The funds in this program are matched 2:1 by the medical schools.
  • $750K in funding for the Fellowship to Address Oral Health Disparities. The one-year intensive program provides recent dental residency graduates with the necessary training to treat people with special needs, especially those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Following the fellowship, fellows commit to one year in practice settings in New York State with significant special needs patient populations and continuing their teaching and research responsibilities.

About AMSNY

The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) is the consortium of the public and private medical schools in New York State. AMSNY works in partnership with its members to advance biomedical research, expand opportunities in medicine and support access to high-quality and cost-efficient care for all New Yorkers. The combined total of New York’s medical schools’ economic impact equals more than $35 billion. AMSNY member schools include:

  • Albany Medical College
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • CUNY School of Medicine
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
  • New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • New York Medical College
  • Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University
  • NYU Langone Health
  • Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
  • SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
  • Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
  • Weill Cornell Medicine
  • Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

For more information on AMSNY, please visit: www.amsny.org.