As this article went to press, Congress has yet to complete a full-year spending bill for the current fiscal year (FY 2026) to fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
This ongoing uncertainty has impacted NIH’s ability to award grants, with consequences for our member scientists and their work. Meanwhile, the Trump administration aims to release their budget for FY 2027 in the coming weeks, kicking off next year’s budget negotiations.
With so much at stake for this fiscal year and next, we have elevated our efforts to advocate for medical research, engaging members to explain to policymakers why robust NIH funding matters for scientists, patients, and the nation’s health.
With so much at stake for this fiscal year and next, we have elevated our efforts to advocate for medical research, engaging members to explain to policymakers why robust NIH funding matters for scientists, patients, and the nation’s health. Two high-impact actions in particular aim to influence both FY 2026 and FY 2027 negotiations.
Engaging the Medical Research Community
In January, the Endocrine Society spearheaded an organizational sign-on letter to Congressional leadership urging them to complete work on a full-year appropriations bill for FY 2026 that increases funding for the NIH.
The letter also calls for Congress to protect the NIH from interference in grantmaking. Specifically, we asked Congress to prevent the administration from imposing arbitrary caps on negotiated facilities and administrative cost rates and minimize near-term impacts on grant success rates by limiting the number of forward-funded grants to levels consistent with previous years.
More than 100 research, medical professional, and patient advocacy organizations endorsed the letter, reflecting the breadth of support for the NIH and the Endocrine Society’s leadership in convening the community.
Meeting with Members of Congress
On March 13, the Endocrine Society will conduct a virtual Hill Day for our member scientists to with their elected officials as the process for FY 2027 funding gets underway and congressional offices identify their priority areas for funding next year.
As we look back on 2025, it is clear that if we are going to be successful, we will need everyone to take action and make their voices heard.
While the Endocrine Society has conducted a March Hill Day focused on research funding every year by bringing our members to Washington, this year we are scaling up our engagement with Congress by organizing a virtual Researcher Hill Day so that we can engage more of members and conduct more congressional meetings via Zoom. During these meetings, we will urge representatives to increase funding for the NIH and share stories of how endocrine research impacts their districts and states.
For those who volunteer to participate, the Society will conduct a training call, provide materials, and schedule meetings.
Loading ...