WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dave McCormick and John Fetterman urged the National Institutes of Health to accelerate stalled grant distributions, warning that delays in deploying congressionally approved research funding are threatening Pennsylvania jobs, biomedical investment, and U.S. competitiveness against China.
In a letter sent Thursday to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, the senators said the agency has awarded fewer than 1,900 new and competitive research grants between October 2025 and late March 2026 — less than half the normal pace for that point in the fiscal year.
The lawmakers argued the slowdown is disrupting funding pipelines for major research institutions and delaying work tied to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and prenatal care.
“Failure to disburse appropriated funds not only forfeits critical investments but also delays scientific breakthroughs and undermines America’s leadership in biomedical research at a time of growing competition from China and other adversaries,” the senators wrote.
The letter places additional political pressure on NIH leadership as research universities and medical institutions nationwide report mounting uncertainty around federal grant timing and funding continuity.
Pennsylvania, the nation’s fourth-largest recipient of NIH funding, has significant exposure to prolonged delays in federal biomedical spending.
According to the senators, NIH-backed research generated approximately $5.31 billion in economic activity in Pennsylvania during 2025 and supported more than 21,700 research-related jobs. The lawmakers also said NIH-linked commercialization efforts helped create 3,710 businesses and roughly 97,000 jobs tied to the state’s biopharmaceutical sector.
The senators cited NIH RePORTER data showing a steep decline in grant obligations compared with prior years.
They said the National Cancer Institute alone earmarked roughly $72 million for new and competitive grants through late March, compared with nearly $250 million during the same period between fiscal years 2021 and 2024.
Congress appropriated roughly $47 billion to NIH for fiscal year 2026.
McCormick and Fetterman asked NIH to provide additional detail regarding operational challenges contributing to the slowdown and requested a response by June 21 outlining steps the agency is taking to accelerate awards and obligate remaining appropriated funds.
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