FASEB advocates went to Capitol Hill on March 19 to discuss our funding recommendations for FY 2026. On May 2, the President’s FY 2026 budget request was sent to Congress, indicating the new administration’s priorities especially as they relate to federal science funding and keeping America competitive in research and development. Unfortunately, the President’s budget proposed radical funding reductions for the nation’s research agencies including a $20 billion cut to NIH, $5.53 billion cut to NSF, and a $1.2 billion cut to DOE Office of Science.

Congress has the power to determine what is appropriated to NIH, NSF, and other agencies, not the president. We need your help to make sure Congress hears from the scientific community as they begin negotiations on the FY 2026 bills that fund NIH and NSF. Please contact your legislators TODAY by using the form on the right-hand side of this page. A sample letter is provided. You can modify the message to include a personal appeal sharing your concerns about the president’s budget request and why FASEB’s proposed funding increases are critical for your research or institution. *New* data showing the amount of federal research dollars for each state are available to include in your message. Share this alert with others in the research community after taking action

Funding for NIH and NSF continues to receive bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, making it even more critical that we urge Congress to provide robust funding for these agencies in FY 2026, instead of approving the president’s budget. Congress must continue strong and robust investments in research by funding grants to the highly skilled people committing their careers to scientific discovery and supporting the facilities and administrative costs that go along with utilizing the academic and medical institutions where much of this federally funded research is occurring. The US government cannot expect private industry and foundations to conduct the basic foundational research needed to advance the government’s interest such as protecting public health with vaccines and training the cadre of young scientists both home-grown and foreign born to think creatively about how to tackle our grand challenges. As the primary driver of U.S. science and technology advancements, continued federal investments in fundamental research are critical to ensuring progress in the biological and biomedical sciences – an increasingly multidisciplinary team-based effort.

The U.S. spends less on research and development than many countries. If the U.S. is to be prepared to respond to future threats, our scientific leadership must progress which is only possible by making the investments needed. FASEB’s FY 2026 funding recommendations put federal science agencies on a path of sustained, predictable, and robust budget increases that will enable discoveries to improve and protect our health.