Congress restored billions in federal research funding earlier in 2026 after cuts proposed by the Trump administration. Watchdogs and former NIH officials now claim the administration is using new tactics to delay or withhold the money. Scientists report severe impacts on their work, including layoffs and halted projects.
Science advocates hailed a bipartisan win early in 2026 when Congress reversed Trump administration cuts and restored billions to the federal research budget, particularly for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, former NIH officials turned watchdogs say the administration has shifted strategies to limit the funds' impact. Jeremy Berg, who spent decades at NIH including eight years as a director, noted that the agency is now issuing fewer grants with larger amounts spread over more years, resulting in 2,300 new grants at one point this year—half the number from the prior year at the same stage. “There's a lot of pain and a lot of science that isn't going to get done,” Berg said. Elizabeth Ginexi, a former NIH program officer for 22 years, analyzed funding forecasts on the NIH website. Of 336 listed as open, 205 were past their promised posting dates without announcements. “There are tons of them starting from last year, in 2025, that are still sitting as forecasts and were never published,” she said, calling it an illusion of opportunities that may never materialize. She left NIH fearing dismissal under the administration and now watches what she describes as its dismantling. Cancer researcher Rachael Sirianni at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School has faced direct consequences. A grant she submitted months ago had its review delayed, making 2026 funding unlikely. She laid off a lab member, closed a drug screening line, and halted promising work on pediatric cancer treatments that spread to the brain and spinal cord. “This particular bench was occupied by a member of my laboratory... I can't bring myself to clear his bench. It makes me sad,” Sirianni said. Her research explored a potent drug combination, now stalled. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, Andrew Nixon, acknowledged the slowdown but stated timelines have returned to typical patterns, blaming Democrats. Sirianni countered that the delays waste prior taxpayer investments and harm families, emphasizing the need for steady federal support to sustain breakthroughs in child cancer care.
