Congress Reaches Compromise on FY 2016 Funding; Provides $2 Billion for NIH

After much debate and negotiation, Congress reached a compromise on the fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations bill that will finalize the budgets for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other research agencies through September. The bill includes $32 billion for NIH (a $2 billion increase), the amount recommended by the Endocrine Society. The omnibus provides an overall discretionary funding level of $1.067 trillion, reflecting the $50 billion in additional spending that was included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-74) approved by Congress in late October.

Providing an increase for biomedical research was the Society’s top priority. We visited Congress, conducted multiple researcher Hill Days, sent letters, and held briefings throughout the year urging Congress to support NIH. Our members actively participated in our on-line advocacy campaigns, including supporting passage of the omnibus spending bill before Congress left for its Christmas recess. For details about spending levels included in the funding bill, please visit the Advocacy page on the Society’s website.