How NIH Funding Fuels Scientific Discovery and Training
and why funding cuts matter
TLDR: Sign the Bethesda Declaration to show your support.
When you hear about a new clinical trial or a new drug approved, there is a good chance the NIH helped fund it at some point along the way. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world.
Each year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) receives funding from the U.S. federal budget — which was $47 billion in 2024. It might sound like a lot but this money supports a diverse range of research across the country.
NIH funding is awarded to thousands of institutions, including universities, medical schools, research hospitals, and nonprofit research centers. These funds support research areas such as:
Basic science to understand how cells, genes, and diseases occur
Clinical research to develop and test new treatments
Behavioral and mental health research
Public health to improve population-level outcomes
A common misconception is that NIH funding only supports its own in-house labs but in reality, the majority of NIH’s budget goes to external researchers working at institutions across the U.S.
When scientists want to conduct research, they don’t simply get handed money from NIH or their institution to fund all their work. They have to apply for competitive grants. At NIH, these grants are reviewed by panels of experts and are scored based on scientific rigor, innovation, and potential impact. Often less than 15–20% of applications are successful. Most NIH grants are project-based, meaning researchers must propose a specific study with a defined timeline, budget, and goals. Most academic research labs rely on these external grants to function — without them, many projects would never move forward.
Where does the money go?
In most academic labs, especially at public institutions, researchers aren’t paid directly by the university. Instead, they’re paid through the grants they secure. This can include faculty, postdocs (like me!), lab technicians, and graduate students. Without funding, entire research teams can lose their jobs.
PhD students in biomedical sciences don’t pay tuition, so NIH funding often supports their education costs and provides a (very) modest stipend so they can focus full-time on research and training, without the need to work side jobs.
Beyond this, Research is expensive. Grants cover things like reagents and supplies, sequencing technologies, microscopes and imaging, laboratory animals, access to facilities, and other resources. Even a “simple” experiment can cost thousands of dollars. More advanced studies can cost tens or hundreds of thousands.
Recent proposed cuts to NIH funding pose serious threats to research progress.
The current proposed NIH budget cuts would lead to a 40% reduction in NIH funding for 2026 and scientists are concerned.
Imagine:
A new cancer therapy is delayed 5 years because the lab couldn’t get funding to pursue it.
A promising young scientist leaves the field because their training grant was cut.
A rare disease community waits longer for answers because the basic research stalled.
The impact of NIH funding reaches far. It trains the next generation of scientists and clinicians, drives discoveries that improve public health, and supports jobs and innovation in communities across the country. When we invest in biomedical research, we invest in a healthier future for everyone.
Budget cuts are not the only concern regarding the NIH right now. You can learn more and show your support by signing the Bethesda Declaration here.
You can also read more below: