On October 27, APA Services, joined by 454 members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research—including state, provincial and territorial psychological associations (SPTAs)—called on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to allocate no less than the $47.2 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) already approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. In their letter (PDF, 222KB)opens in new window, they expressed gratitude for the committees’ longstanding, bipartisan commitment to ensuring steady growth in NIH funding and urged swift finalization of the FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) spending bill with a robust investment in medical research.
The signatories further expressed appreciation for the spending measures advanced by the House (H.R. 5304) and Senate (S. 2587) appropriations committees. They noted that the Senate bill would safeguard the nation’s research infrastructure, avoid policy provisions that might hinder scientific progress, and help prevent further sharp declines in the number of award recipients caused by frontloading practices. The letter also underscored the urgency of Congress finalizing the NIH funding level without delay.
Recognizing the challenges of today’s constrained discretionary spending environment and its effect on funding discussions, the groups stressed that the importance of sustaining—and strengthening—support for medical research cannot be overstated.
For more information, contact Angela L. Sharpe.