The undersigned organizations and institutions (see PDF), representing the nation's medical schools, teaching hospitals, and scientists, thank Congress for your continued support of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which has resulted in immense benefits for the health of the American people. As you finalize the Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we bring to your attention an issue of particular importance that we appreciate Congress having addressed in previous appropriations. Specifically, we urge you to retain the provision to maintain the salary cap imposed on extramural NIH researchers at Level I of the Executive pay scale, which equals $199,700 in 2011.