Tammy Baldwin Questions NIH Director on Federal Grant Funding Cuts

NIH Grant Funding Delays

• 📉 NIH grant making is significantly behind its normal pace, with nearly $3 billion less awarded compared to the same period last year, equating to at least 3,288 fewer grants.
• ❓ Senator Baldwin directly questioned NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya on who is responsible for withholding this funding, asking if the decisions came from him, the Office of the Director (OD), or the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Reasons for Grant Pauses

• 🔬 Dr. Bhattacharya indicated that decisions regarding grant pauses are complex and depend on specifics, with some related to changes in NIH priorities to move away from "politicized science."
• ⚖️ He mentioned that decisions affecting institutions like Harvard are joint with the administration and are believed to be temporary, pending settlements with the universities.

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Proposal

• 📊 The fiscal year 2026 budget proposal indicates a plan to award significantly fewer grants this year and next.
• 💰 A new NIH funding policy involves forward-funding half of its research grants, meaning multi-year grants will be awarded in a single year, impacting the number of grants awarded and research spending in the near term.
• ⚠️ This forward-funding scheme effectively hides deeper cuts, potentially putting billions in escrow and reducing research funding by an additional $7 billion next year on top of the proposed $18 billion cut.

Impact of Forward Funding

• 🎯 The proposed budget requests an $18 billion cut for NIH, but the forward-funding policy means NIH would award a fraction of its historical grants next year, with this change accounting for approximately 4,000 fewer awards.
• 💡 Dr. Bhattacharya explained that forward funding, while a budget proposal, is intended to allow for more flexibility for new research projects in the long run by not tying up money in previous years' projects.
• 🤝 He expressed willingness to work with Congress to ensure a smooth transition and avoid disruptions caused by the forward-funding policy.