Volunteer Opportunity: Help Advocate for OAB Research Funding

[Administrator]

The National Association for Continence (NAFC) and The American Urological Association (AUA) is seeking volunteers to join us in advocating for Overactive Bladder (OAB) to be added to the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program’s 2026 list of eligible topics for funding.

This program, funded at $370 million annually, currently supports just over 40 medical research topics. Despite this, only a handful of benign conditions are included. We believe this is a crucial opportunity to elevate awareness and grow funding for benign urological conditions like OAB.

Why This Matters​

By including OAB in the CDMRP's funding list, we can drive groundbreaking research that leads to advancements in medical devices, drug development, and clinical care for OAB patients. Advocacy efforts like this have the potential to improve the lives of millions of individuals managing OAB.

Your Role in Advocacy​

We will be advocating for this initiative during the American Urological Association (AUA) Summit in Washington, D.C., from Sunday, March 2 to Tuesday, March 4, 2025. As part of this effort, we are seeking an OAB patient to join us in meetings with Congressional appropriators to share their personal experience with OAB and help communicate the need for increased research funding.

What We’re Looking For​

While we welcome any individual with Overactive Bladder to volunteer, we are particularly interested in hearing from:

• Patients with a military background
• Patients who live in one of the following states:
  ME, KY, AK, SC, KS, ND, AR, WV, IL, WA, RI, HI, WI, NH, CT, DE

Support Provided​

The American Urological Association will cover all travel and lodging expenses for selected participants.

What to Expect​

As a volunteer, you will:

• Share your experience with OAB to the extent you feel comfortable during meetings with Congressional offices.
• Help policymakers understand how OAB impacts patients’ daily lives, emphasizing the critical need for additional research and funding.

Your voice and story can help drive real change. If OAB is added to the funding list, the CDMRP can support vital research that may lead to new and improved ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat OAB.

How to Volunteer​

If you are interested in joining us, please contact us at memberservices@nafc.org. We would love to discuss this opportunity with you further and answer any questions you may have.

Together, we can make a difference for the OAB community. Thank you for considering this important opportunity!