Voting History
Representatives start with a baseline score of 50/100. We then score representatives by their voting record on NIH, NSF, and BRAIN initiative funding for the current term only, and support for animal research. This ensures we do not bias against newer representatives, and account for changes of position with time. Additionally, we examine their record on specific neuroscience research-friendly policies that support trainees and principal investigators. Voting for or against these bills will score a +/-5.
Bill Sponsorships
Sponsoring or co-sponsoring a bill is one of the strongest kinds of support for legislation. It’s assuming ownership over the ideas contained within. Sponsored or co-sponsored bills to foster or hinder neuroscience research are valued highly in our ratings with each bill accounting for +/-6 points for sponsorship and +/-4 points for co-sponsorship. An extra +/-5 is awarded if a bill is passed.
Committee Service
Which committee a representative serves on can be a proxy for their interest and ability to enact change involving those topics. Some committees are more powerful than others, and have bigger influences. Their presence on these committees can magnify their scores in either direction by +/-3, depending on if their presence is positive, neutral, or negative. NIH caucus memberships counts for +10.
We finally scan a database of public statements made by the representative for comments on neuroscience, STEM funding, and animal research. These statements include campaign promises, speeches, and inter-congressional communication like Dear Colleague letters, especially those supporting the NIH and BRAIN initiative. They are crossed against current positions, and taken into account in our ratings and can move a grade up or down by +/-5 points. No statements about neuroscience are generally taken as a negative, but always in context of the representative’s other statements and votes.
Public Statements
A final score of 80-100+ receives an A range grade
A final score of 60-80 receives a B range grade
A final score of 40-60 receives a C range grade
A final score of 20-40 receives a D range grade
A final score of less than 0-20 receives a F range grade
frequently asked questions
Are you a partisan project?
While this is a complicated question, the simple answer we strive for is no. Our ratings are based on the premise that neuroscience flourishes with federal funding support. We rate republican and democratic representatives using an identical system, which we hope reduces bias. Ideally, all voters can use neurovote to make informed decisions.
We do not account for any policy positions that are not directly related to neuroscience research. For example, if a representative does not support stem cell research that would be counted as a negative, as neuroscience frequently makes use of stem cells. However, if a representative does not support climate change research, this will not affect their ranking.
Who should I vote for?
We do not currently cover elections or make voting recommendations. While we hope that neuroscience support is an important component of your vote, we recognize that other aspects of a representative’s voting record, positions, and demeanor matter as well.