Calling for robust funding for the National Institutes of Health
Apr. 24, 2025
APA Services has joined over 500 organizations in a letter with an accompanying recommendation Q&A to Congress calling for $51.3 billion in funding for the NIH for Fiscal Year 2026, in addition to support for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The coalition comprises organizations representing patients, scientists, health professionals, research and academic institutions, and industry.
Emphasizing that “robust support for medical research makes Americans healthier,” the group stressed that “underfunding NIH will slow the pace of scientific discovery as does imposing other problematic disruptions on the agency.” The groups highlighted that NIH's meaningful annual funding growth has been a steadfast bipartisan national priority over the last decade and beyond.
This coalition effort comes at a critical moment when the agency faces substantial changes.
On April 1, new NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, began his tenure amid major organizational changes, including workforce reductions that may affect up to 5,000 positions and the termination of numerous research grants in areas critical to psychological science, including diversity and inclusion research, LGBTQ+ health, and women's health.
Five of the 27 institutes and directors leading NIH have been removed or placed on administrative leave, including leaders of institutes focused on minority health, child health, nursing research, human genome research, and infectious diseases.
APA Services will continue to oppose policies that jeopardize the well-being of individuals, families, and communities nationwide who rely on research to improve their lives. We will continue to engage with our members and Congress to protect the sustainability of NIH.