NIH & Pell Grants; Quantum; NEA
HOUSE APPROVES NIH INCREASE, REJECTS PELL GRANT CUTS
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved fiscal year (FY) 2026 spending bills for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Education (ED), and Department of Defense (DOD) that reject the Trump Administration’s proposal to significantly reduce federal investments in medical research and student aid. The package, negotiated by both chambers of Congress with the White House, would increase NIH funding by approximately one percent above current levels and maintain funding for both the maximum Pell Grant award and Federal Work-Study (FWS) at their current levels. In contrast, the President’s Budget Request proposed to cut NIH funding by 40 percent, Pell Grant awards by nearly 25 percent, and FWS by 80 percent. The package would decrease basic research at the DOD by 4.2 percent compared to FY 2025, versus the eight percent proposed by the Administration. The bills now head to the U.S. Senate for a vote. The President is expected to sign the measures into law before the continuing resolution that funds the government expires on January 30th.
BUZZ BITS…
- The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing titled “Assessing U.S. Leadership in Quantum Science and Technology” on Thursday. Members of Congress highlighted the need for a renewed commitment to quantum science, discussed efforts to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative Act, addressed competition with China, and expressed differing views on the role of international talent in the U.S. scientific enterprise.
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking public input on its draft NSF Strategic Plan for fiscal year 2026 to 2030. The plan identifies three key goals: advancing American innovation and national security, cultivating STEM talent, and modernizing the NSF’s operations. Comments are due by January 27th.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced yesterday that “NIH funds will not be permitted for research using [human fetal tissue] from elective abortions.” The announcement is effective immediately and reverses a previous NIH policy implemented in 2021. According to the agency, the NIH supported 77 projects utilizing human fetal tissue in fiscal year 2024.
GRANT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently released two research funding opportunities: the Research Grants in the Arts “investigate the value and/or impact of the arts in American life” and the NEA Research Labs support long-term research projects that promote knowledge about the arts and their societal impacts. The agency is particularly interested in proposals that focus on how the arts can support artificial intelligence competency training; how art therapies can affect the health of veterans, children, and older Americans; and how art activities can benefit learners with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder.