Overview
- A Government Accountability Office report concludes the administration’s cancellation of over 1,800 NIH grants and an $8 billion shortfall in obligations violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
- Between February and June, NIH committed roughly 62% of the prior year’s funding as executive directives targeting equity-related research paused grant reviews and halted new awards.
- Senate appropriators rejected President Trump’s proposed 40 percent NIH budget cut and instead proposed $48.7 billion for fiscal 2026, a $400 million increase over 2025.
- The Office of Management and Budget has required NIH to front-load multi-year grants and delayed releases of unspent funds under OMB review, reducing the agency’s capacity to fund new research.
- Federal courts have already blocked an indirect‐cost cap and restored some grants, and Congress is leveraging the GAO finding to reinforce legislative control over research funding.