In these times of increasingly tight federal budgets this is an important opportunity to help serve the computing community and ensure that Congress understands the value of computing research going on in their states and districts. We hope you’ll join the computing community as it goes before Congress to make the case for computing research!

CRA will hold its annual Congressional Visit Day (CVD) on Tuesday September 10th and Wednesday September 11th 2024, in Washington DC. As we have done with past CVDs, we will hold a training session on the Tuesday night, with the Congressional meetings held during the day on Wednesday. This is an important opportunity for representatives from CRA member institutions to meet with their representatives in Congress, and help make the case for federal support of computing research. We hope you, or someone you designate, will join us!

If you would like to receive information about next year’s CVD, or have questions about taking part in Congressional meetings in Washington DC, please contact Brian Mosley in the CRA Government Affairs Office.

At the training session, CRA staff will provide training, materials, and information about your Congressional representatives. Attendees will be provided with all the materials they’ll need to have productive meetings, and will be armed with talking points that will help them make the relevant policy points to Congressional offices.

The training session will be followed by a reception to thank all participants for taking part in these important meetings.

With regard to your Congressional meetings, CRA staff will schedule those with Congressional staffers and Members of Congress. We do ask that all participant provide a debrief message to CRA staff covering what you spoke about and if there are any items that CRA needs to contact the staffers about.

Once you sign up, CRA staff will be in touch with detailed scheduling information, as well as how to reserve a reduced price hotel room in DC. That hotel will also be the location of the training session and the following thank you reception.

Should you have any questions, please contact Brian Mosley in the CRA Government Affairs Office.