The Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health receive an increase of $301 million in budget authority for a new total of $47.216 billion in FY 2026, a figure that stands in sharp contradiction to the severe cuts recommended in the Administration’s request. Additionally, ARPA-H is to receive $1.5 billion.
Congress sustains its support for the Cures Act research programming by increasing funding by $99 million. The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) received an increase of $4 million, and research for Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias received an increase across NIH of $100 million.
The Institutional Development Awards (IDeA), NIH’s EPSCoR-like program, receives nearly $451 million, an increase of $20 million. IDeA-eligible states include Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.
The Office of Research on Women’s Health is to receive an increase of nearly 30% to $106.48 million. Research grants on women’s health issues were among those most often cancelled without cause in the early months of the Trump administration.
Agencies instructed to sustain current indirect cost policies
“Under this agreement, neither NIH, nor any other department or agency, may develop or implement any policy, guidance, or rule, including publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking, that would alter the manner in which negotiated indirect cost rates have been implemented and applied under NIH regulations, as those regulations were in effect during the third quarter of fiscal year 2017.”
NIH instructed to spend as much of FY2026 funds for new projects as possible; greater Congressional oversight required
In FY 2025, NIH had implemented a policy that tied up multi-year funding in first-year awards, a move that greatly reduces the opportunity for new awards. Congress disagrees with the approach, stating in the report, “The agreement includes a general provision to limit the amount of funds that can be obligated for awards that fully fund out-year commitments and directs NIH to fund as many new awards as possible based on meritorious applications.”
In an obvious display of discontent with the management of NIH research awards in the previous year, Congress also instructs NIH to inform Congress monthly on the status of grant announcements, applications, awards, continuations, terminations or cancellations.
HHS instructed to restore their commitment to publishing funding opportunities, awards
The budget report for the Department of Health and Human Services begins with instructions concerning issues arising with agency performance over the past year. For example, the dearth of research grant opportunities from NIH was noted by Congress, which is instructing HHS to “expeditiously publish funding opportunity announcements, no later than 4 months prior to the expiration of the period of availability of funds…”