Several news items released this week signal potentially significant changes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities:

“Limit on multiyear funding of NIH grants is a sticking point in Senate budget talks” STAT News 1/16/26 (subscription) In 2025, NIH “funded fewer research projects than in years past because of a budgeting strategy mandated by the White House Office of Management and Budget. Called multiyear funding, it allocates funds for a grant in full during the year the grant is awarded, rather than on a yearly basis.” Shifting to this funding model means that fewer projects are funded, even while spending remains stable or even increases. This could be especially challenging for early-career researchers.

“Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026” Nature 1/22/26 (subscription) “Crucial grant-review panels for more than half of the institutes that make up the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) are on track to lose all their voting members within the year. Federal law requires these panels to review applications for all but the smallest grants before funding can be awarded, meaning that the ability of those institutes to issue new grants could soon be frozen. … At the advisory council for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the final voting members’ terms end next month. Without extraordinary action, the council will have no members by its May meeting, when it is scheduled to review grant applications submitted as early as last September — meaning those applications would be effectively frozen.” (Also covered in STAT News)

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO, who is the Ranking Member of the US House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, “introduced the Follow the Science Act to shield the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from political interference and protect the integrity of America's biomedical research.” (“DeGette Introduces Bill to Protect NIH From Political Interference” 1/21/26)

“Again Defying Trump, Congress Proposes Increasing NIH Budget, Maintaining ED” Inside Higher Ed 1/20/26 “The House and Senate appropriations committees have jointly proposed legislation that would generally maintain the Education Department’s funding levels, plus increase the National Institutes of Health’s budget by more than $400 million this fiscal year. It’s the latest in a trend of bipartisan congressional rebukes of President Trump’s call to slash agencies that support higher ed.”

For context on actions affecting NIH during 2025, see our 2025 resources page, which has now been archived.