Our Recommendation
Over 500 organizations and institutions across the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stakeholder community recommend an appropriation of at least $51.3 billion for the agency’s foundational work in fiscal year (FY) 2026, which would allow the NIH’s base budget to keep pace with the biomedical research and development price index and allow meaningful growth of roughly 6%. As the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) continues to make progress in targeted “high potential, high impact” research areas and on accelerating the development of commercial products, our broad-based, national community of diverse stakeholders is unanimous in emphasizing that for ARPA-H to be maximally successful, any funding for ARPA-H should supplement, rather than supplant, the essential foundational investment in the NIH. We urge lawmakers to continue to support patients, discovery, and economic growth; to ensure a funding allocation for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee that allows for the necessary investment in the NIH and other agencies that promote the health and well-being of all Americans; and to work expeditiously to complete FY 2026 appropriations in a timely manner. The health of our nation and millions of patients depends on it.
In addition, the Ad Hoc Group is sharing an accompanying Q&A document for the FY 2026 recommendation. The Q&A document provides an overview of the justification for the FY 2026 recommendation as well as key messaging on the importance of NIH investment in driving economic growth, securing U.S. global leadership, harmful impacts of funding delays and disruptions, among other issues.