A Commitment to National Institutes of Health Funding
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya has committed to spending all funds allocated to the NIH by the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025.
At the same time, it is reported that U.S. institutions received nearly $5 billion less in NIH awards over the past year. The open letter below urges action on his commitments.
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Support Our Nation’s Health
The case for investment in medical research transcends political divides as it serves our collective national interest in preserving Americans’ health.
Research is the Bedrock of Medical Innovation
The U.S. cannot maintain its reputation as “the gold standard of science” without allowing innovative medical research to continue.
Demonstrate Resistance to Further Cuts
The White House has proposed a 43% drop in NIH funding as part of the 2026 budget process.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
Director, National Institutes of Health
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
Dear Dr. Bhattacharya,
We, the undersigned scientists, doctors, and public health stakeholders, commend your commitment to spend all funds allocated to the NIH, as reported in The Washington Post. At the same time, we are concerned by reports that U.S. institutions received nearly $5 billion less in NIH awards over the past year. With less than one month to the end of the fiscal year, we submit this urgent request to ensure that your commitment is upheld. If you anticipate that all appropriated funds cannot be spent in time, we request a public disclosure of the barriers preventing the achievement of this crucial responsibility.
We present this request in the spirit of the broad, bipartisan consensus in favor of spending appropriated NIH funds. In their July letter to the Office of Management and Budget, 14 Republican senators, led by Senators Collins, Britt, and McConnell, forcefully argued that suspension of NIH funds “could threaten Americans’ ability to access better treatments and limit our nation’s leadership in biomedical science.” The case for investment in medical research transcends political divides as it serves our collective national interest.
The return on investment from research is compelling. Synthesizing the empirical literature, economist Matt Clancy estimates that each public and private R&D dollar yields roughly $5.50 in GDP—and about $11 when broader benefits are counted. Every dollar of NIH funding not deployed represents lost opportunities for breakthrough treatments, missed chances to train the next generation of scientists, and diminished returns on America’s innovation ecosystem.
Spending these funds is also a competitiveness imperative as China attempts to transform itself from a low-end manufacturer to a high-tech research and innovation juggernaut. In 2024, the Chinese government increased its spending on science and technology by 10%, and the nation’s total expenditure on research and development increased by 50% in nominal terms between 2020 and 2024. As China’s number of clinical trials and new drug candidates begin to outpace the U.S., America cannot afford to allow biomedical research funding to go unspent.
We respectfully ask that you ensure that NIH will obligate all FY25 funds by September 30, 2025, and, if that is not possible, that you address the scientific community to explain why and what must be done to ensure all appropriated funds are spent in FY26. We stand ready to support your efforts to preserve this vital national investment.
Sincerely,
[Names of scientists]
All signatories sign in a personal capacity; affiliations for identification only.
[Names of patient advocacy organizations]
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