The Future We Build Together
As our nation’s 250th year gets underway, we can be inspired by a history of extraordinary accomplishments, including such scientific and technological advances as the development of the polio vaccine in the 1950s, the MRI in the 1970s, and in just the last two decades (with decades of research at their foundation), CRISPR gene editing and CAR-T cell therapy. The question becomes: will we continue to contribute in profoundly important ways to scientific, medical, and public health progress, or will we languish, content with our storied history? Advocacy will influence the answer.
Congress is back, and while new priorities are already competing for attention, unfinished business remains very much on the to-do list, especially given the Jan. 30 deadline for FY26 funding. Missing that deadline means (1) yet another CR or (2) another government shutdown.
Where Things Stand:
- FY26 Appropriations: This week, House and Senate appropriators released a bipartisan three-bill “minibus” funding package covering Interior-Environment, Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) (which includes funding for NSF), and Energy-Water. The House passed the minibus today and the Senate intends to bring it to the floor by early next week.
- NSF: The FY26 CJS appropriations bill spares the NSF the 55% funding reduction included in the president’s original FY26 budget recommendation by cutting its budget by 3.4% to $8.75 billion. Please see our statement laying out the challenge we face in securing funding needed to maintain our global leadership on S&T. The funding package also includes language blocking the imposition of a 15% cap on indirect cost reimbursement at the federal science research agencies funded in the package (NSF, the National Institutes of Standards & Technology, NASA, and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science).
- NIH and Department of Defense (DoD): Appropriators reportedly plan to seek passage of two more minibus packages, with the last package expected to contain Labor-HHS bill (which funds NIH and other key health research agencies) and DoD (which funds the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs). It’s a very tight timeline, but there is a new sense of optimism that the process will, in fact, be completed by Jan. 30. Take Action: Use this editable email to contribute to the momentum!
- NIH Indirect Cost Reimbursement: A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling blocking the NIH from moving forward with a cap on research indirect cost payments. The administration has not announced whether it intends to appeal this ruling.
- Reinstated NIH Grants: Following a recent legal settlement, NIH is reconsidering grant applications that were previously frozen or denied after being flagged for DEI-related content. NIH leadership has also indicated that restored funding applies to current award periods, with future renewal decisions to be addressed separately. We’ve updated our tracker to reflect the latest developments.
- Other Key Health Bills: Several key pieces of R&D-relevant legislation, including reauthorization of the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program, remain in limbo. The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy is circulating this letter in support of reauthorizing the program, which has helped spur urgently needed progress. Organizations can sign on to the letter before noon ET, Jan. 23, using this form.
Research!America News:
- 2025 Accomplishments: I hope you’ll take a look at Research!America’s “Year in Review” for a brief overview of what our alliance accomplished together. There is power in numbers, particularly when backed by commitment and energy. Thank you to every Research!America alliance member organization for collaborating with us on this important work.
- Special Advisors: Research!America this week announced the appointment of three extraordinary individuals as Special Advisors: the Honorable Roy Blunt, (R-MO), U.S. Senator, 2011-2023 and U.S. Representative, 1997-2011; the Honorable Bart Gordon, (D-TN.), U.S. Representative, 1985-2011; and Mark McLellan, M.D., Ph.D., MPA, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2004-2006; Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, 2002-2004. Read more here.
- Health Services Research Briefing: Join us Jan. 21, from noon to 1:30 p.m., for a Capitol Hill Briefing on the critical role of Health Services Research (HSR), an undervalued and underutilized area of research. Expert speakers will detail HSR’s potential to transform health care delivery, enhance value, and achieve the accessible, effective care that American patients need. Register here.
Advocacy Challenges – A Rapid-Fire Q&A: Mark your calendar for Jan. 22, noon to 1 p.m. ET. We’ll host a alliance member-only meeting focused on the on-the-ground challenges facing advocates today. When we polled our readers last fall, many of you highlighted difficulty navigating a polarized political environment, identifying the right policymakers and pathways for engagement, and sustaining momentum when progress feels slow. The session will offer practical insights to help address challenges like these. We have reopened the poll in case you have not had an opportunity to weigh in. If you are with the Research!America alliance, watch your emails for an invitation!