The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is set to receive an essentially flat budget of $47.1 billion for the fiscal year 2024, as outlined in the final spending bill expected to pass Congress. Despite President Biden's request for a $920 million increase, the approved budget only includes a modest $300 million bump, leaving NIH with a $378 million cut when factoring in mandated reductions.
The budgetary outcome reflects the impact of tight spending caps agreed upon by the president and Congress in May 2023. Jennifer Zeitzer of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) notes that the NIH community anticipated limited funding given the fiscal constraints. With the fiscal year already halfway through, NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli and individual institutes face challenging decisions amidst the constrained budget.
While stakeholders appreciate Congress's efforts to reach a spending agreement, concerns linger regarding funding levels that fall short of addressing inflation and pressing research needs. Despite modest increases for specific areas such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and mental health research, most institutes and centers will maintain 2023 funding levels.
Notably, the final budget excludes several policy provisions opposed by researchers, including restrictions on diversity efforts, federal funding for fetal tissue studies, and research on gender-affirming care. Additionally, proposals to defund specific grants and impose bans on certain types of research were dropped from the legislation.
The American Society for Microbiology acknowledges Congress's decision not to hinder specific areas of scientific research, emphasizing the importance of maintaining expertise to ensure safe research practices. As NIH navigates budgetary constraints, stakeholders emphasize the need for continued advocacy to address the evolving needs of the biomedical research community.
More: https://www.science.org/content/article/final-nih-budget-2024-essentially-flat
