NIH Director Assures Full $48.7B Budget Use Despite Sharp Grant Award Drop

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya pledged to House appropriators that the agency will fully spend its $48.7 billion budget by the end of fiscal year 2026, despite awarding 74% fewer new grants than recent averages. This reduction in grant awards has raised concerns about potential underutilization of funds and impact on research funding. Going forward, monitoring NIH’s grant disbursement pace is crucial to ensure commitments translate into actual spending and support for scientific projects.