ASH Statement on NIH Funding in FY 2027 House Appropriations Bill and OMB Proposal
The House Appropriations bill provides continued support for NIH, but the Senate needs to do more
(WASHINGTON—June 12, 2026) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH) thanks the U.S. House of Representatives for rejecting the Trump administration’s proposed 12.3% cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but remains concerned about insufficient funding, the slow rate of grant disbursement, and recent proposals to overhaul the grantmaking process.
While the proposed $47.4 billion allocated to NIH will continue to support important medical research that benefits millions of patients, including those with blood disorders, it does not keep up with the rate of biomedical research inflation. This, combined with the continued use of multi-year funding for grants, will reduce overall the number of grants supported by NIH.
Further, the bill did not include language from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Appropriations Bill that required adequate staffing for agencies and the disbursement of research funds in a timely fashion at a time when grant awards are lagging behind previous years.
A recently proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) aims to overhaul the federal grantmaking process, which would impact the dissemination of medical knowledge through meetings and publications, and place barriers on research that would affect young physicians and scientists who represent the future of the field.
In response to this bill, Robert Negrin, MD, president of the American Society of Hematology, issued the following statement:
“We’re glad to see that the House recognizes the importance of strong NIH funding to keeping the United States at the forefront of biomedical research and urge the Senate to provide at least $51.3 billion to keep up with the rate of inflation. Continued, stable investment is essential for researchers to pursue promising scientific and medical findings and develop future treatments and cures."
We are especially concerned about a recently proposed rule from OMB which would have drastic negative implications on hematology research and practice. These provisions, together with the proposed OMB rule, will leave important scientific ideas behind, slow the volume of research, and ultimately bring fewer discoveries to patients.
Congress must use its oversight and other authorities to address this rule; failure to do so would needlessly politicize science, bypass subject matter experts, further delay grantmaking, and prevent dissemination of important research findings.
The Senate must ensure that the U.S. remains a leader in biomedical research by providing additional, robust funding to NIH, adding stronger language to maintain adequate staffing levels and disburse funding more quickly, and use its oversight authority to reject the dangerous provisions in the OMB rule.”
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. Since 1958, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. Join the #Fight4Hematology by visiting hematology.org/fight4hematology.
The Blood journals (https://ashpublications.org/journals) are the premier source for basic, translational, and clinical hematologic research. The Blood journals publish more peer-reviewed hematology research than any other academic journals worldwide.
Contact:
Melissa McGue, 202-552-4927
[email protected]