Community Appropriations Sign on Letter

January 20, 2026

The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable John Thune
Majority Leader, U. S. Senate
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries
Minority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Minority Leader, U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Thune, and Leader Schumer:

The undersigned organizations, including patient advocacy groups, professional scientific and medical societies, and other aligned stakeholders representing a broad range of medical and public health interests, write to urge the swift passage of a final
appropriations bill that protects the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and provides at least the Senate-approved funding level of $48.7 billion for NIH in fiscal year 2026 (FY26).

With longstanding bipartisan support, Congress has empowered NIH to advance research that has significantly improved the nation’s health and quality of life. NIH-supported discoveries have led to innovations that treat, cure, and prevent disease, delivering substantial medical and economic benefits to communities across the country, from new approaches to identifying and treating cancer to support for small businesses and the development of commercial biomedical innovations. Unfortunately, continuing resolutions, the recent government shutdown, and disruptions to the timely review of meritorious grant applications have created persistent uncertainty that is undermining progress on critical national health priorities.

A continuing resolution or partial shutdown beyond January 30 would further exacerbate challenges facing NIH-funded researchers nationwide. Without a full-year appropriations bill, NIH will be forced to continue delaying awards for new projects and restricting funding levels. These delays not only slow scientific progress but also risk job losses, as researchers may be unable to retain essential staff while awaiting funding decisions. For time-sensitive or longitudinal studies, such disruptions can result in the permanent loss of data and research momentum, wasting taxpayer investments already made in critical programs. To prevent further delays to lifesaving research and reaffirm the United States’ leadership in medical innovation, Congress must pass a full-year appropriations bill that funds NIH at $48.7 billion in FY26, consistent with the bipartisan bill adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Congress has a critical role in protecting NIH from disruptions to its grantmaking process and in sustaining support for both longstanding and emerging research priorities. Consistent with this goal, the final negotiated FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill should limit the proportion of multiyearfunded grants to levels consistent with FY2024 as the Senate bill does. A significant expansion of multiyear funding would have immediate and severe effects on success rates for investigator-initiated research, disproportionately disadvantaging trainees and earlycareer investigators seeking their first NIH awards. Such a policy could also hinder appropriate oversight of ongoing grants, particularly for sensitive research such as clinical trials. Accordingly, we urge inclusion of the Senate bill language in the final negotiated text stating that NIH “may not increase the proportion of multiyear grants awarded in FY2026 compared with the proportion awarded in FY2024 unless NIH awards the same total number of grants in FY2026 as in FY2024.”

In addition, we urge Congress to prevent the imposition of arbitrary caps on facilities and administrative (F&A) rates by retaining Senate report language that affirms the current negotiated rate model and prohibits NIH from developing or implementing a modified approach. F&A costs support essential activities necessary for conducting rigorous, transparent, and ethical research and cannot be absorbed by researchers under a strict and arbitrary cap. Instead, Congress should work with the stakeholder community to comprehensively assess the full costs of research across diverse settings, including urban, rural, and ecological environments, as part of any future consideration of alternative funding models.

In closing, we appreciate the work of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to date to advance bipartisan legislation that avoids cuts to NIH. However, we are increasingly concerned that Congress may not complete action on the LHHS bill before January 30. We urge Congress to move swiftly to finalize the LHHS appropriations process and deliver a bill that adequately funds and protects this vital, lifesaving agency. Thank you for your attention to this important request.

Sincerely,

Academic Pediatric Association
Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research
Accessia Health
Alliance for Aging Research
Alpha-1 Foundation
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Anthropological Association
American Association for Anatomy
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Immunologists
American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine
American Association of Physicists in Medicine
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
American Brain Coalition
American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
American College of Osteopathic Internists
American Diabetes Association
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Gastroenterological Association
American Heart Association
American Kidney Fund
American Lung Association
American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)
American Pancreatic Association
American Pediatric Society
American Physiological Society
American psychological association services
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Nutrition
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Human Genetics
American Society of Nephrology
American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
American Society of Transplantation
American Thoracic Society
American Urogynecologic Society
American Urological Association (AUA)
Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs
Association of Minority Health Professions Schools
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
AVAC
Beyond Celiac
Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
CDH Research International
Center for Endometriosis Care
Choose Healthy Life
Coalition for Clinical and Translational Science
Coalition of Skin Diseases
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Cure HHT
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Digestive Disease National Coalition
Endocrine Society
Endometriosis Association
Epilepsy Foundation of America
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences (FABBS)
First Candle
Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research
Genetics Society of America
Gerontological Society of America
Head for the Cure
Healthy Birth Day, Inc.
HealthyWomen
Heart Failure Society of America
HIV Medicine Association
Hope Charities
Indiana University
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders
Interstitial Cystitis Association
Kids for Saving Earth
Lupus Foundation of America
Lupus Research Alliance
Lymphatic Education & Research Network
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
Muscular Dystrophy Association
National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
National Kidney Foundation
National Scleroderma Foundation
Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Society
NephCure
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and
Nutrition
NPWH
Nutrition and Medical Foods Coalition
Oncology Nursing Society
Organic Acidemia Association
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)
Pediatric Policy Council
Periodic Paralysis Association
Platelet Disorder Support Association
PreemieWorld Foundation Inc.
Prevent Blindness
Project Sleep
PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy
Radiological Society of North America
Renal Physicians Association
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
Sleep Research Society
Society For Biomaterials
Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention
Society for Developmental Biology. Please list only society name, no people
names
Society for Leukocyte Biology
Society for Neuroscience
Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research (SPER)
Society for Pediatric Research
Society for Public Health Education
Society for Public Health Education
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
Society for Women’s Health Research
Society of Behavioral Medicine
Society of Family Planning
Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc. (SGNA)
Society of General Internal Medicine
Society of Gynecologic Oncology
Society of Toxicology
TB Alliance
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy
The National Pancreas Foundation
The Obesity Society
Treatment Action Group (TAG)
Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine
U.S. Pain Foundation
UMass Chan Medical School
United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc.
University of California, San Francisco
US Hereditary Angioedema Association
VHL Alliance
Vision Sciences Society
wAIHA Warriors
Women First Research Coalition