Inside (the Beltway) Scoop

By: Ellen Kuo
Thursday, March 26, 2026
House Appropriations Holds Oversight Hearing with NIH Director

Robert Aderholt, Chair, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing with the NIH Director Jayanta Bhattacharya to discuss a number of issues on the mind of the members following up from NIH’s activities in 2025. These ranged from developing a new indirect cost framework, moving funding out the door at NIH to grantees, and progress on filling the various vacancies at institutes and centers (I/Cs) currently without permanent directors.

Aderholt said he wanted to see at the end of the day that NIH-funded research is leading to measurable improvements in Americans’ lives. Even with science being incremental, research investments must ultimately translate to better health.

Ranking member Rosa DeLauro made it a point to inform the audience that there were 2000 fewer grants issued in 2025 and that multiyear funding will result in thousands fewer new grants in 2026 and 2027, thereby dramatically reducing the success rates for applicants from 18.5 percent in 2024 to 13 percent in 2025. She also said that the Office of Management and Budget had just approved NIH’s apportionment on March 15, the day before the oversight hearing. The NIH director affirmed to the committee that he will spend the allocation provided by Congress, and that grants are already going out the door this year. He told members that NIH would spend all its FY 2027 money too. When it comes to funding, scientific merit and improving health and wellbeing are the two major criteria for the director as to who will receive grants. 

Another concern was having acting directors at half of the ICs, where she wanted to see permanent directors appointed. The director said he expects to hire permanent leaders for the ICs by this month, and that politics wouldn’t be a factor in who is hired, when questioned by Representative Steny Hoyer. He also said he was the hold-up in making the final decisions since he must meet with them. There is also a hiring plan at NIH to fill holes in staffing, which is promising.

In the second round of questioning, DeLauro brought up the loss of young scientists, and the director said multiyear funding is good for these scientists so they could start their own labs.

Representative Andy Harris also wanted NIH to work on nutrition research, and he talked about indirect costs with a 27-28 percent median as his target. He used the Gates Foundation as an example, which only allows ten percent for indirect costs, and commented that everyone wants Gates Foundation grants. He also pointed to endowments at universities as a possible source of indirect cost funding without mentioning that the use of endowment money has restrictions based on the donor. He also said we must get smarter, mustering our resources. He mentioned the Agricultural Research Service has a statutory limit of 30 percent for indirect costs. Additionally, Representative Harris talked about COVID destroying trust in vaccines and said we need to work with institutions to solve the issue of high indirect costs. 

Aderholt asked about spreading out NIH grants across the country. The NIH director said we need to get away from funding just a couple of bio hubs in this country to a larger distribution. Restoring trust was also a concern from the Chair. 

Representative Lois Frankel focused her questioning on vaccines and sleep disorders. She also wanted women to be involved in health research, with which Bhattacharya agreed. He also spoke about vaccines and said, “Routine childhood vaccinations are tremendously important for childhood health,” and noted that the U.S. healthcare system is “a little more fragmented” than those in countries that recommend fewer childhood vaccines but have stronger safety nets to catch and prevent infections early.

Representative Mike Simpson asked about the institutional development award program, which the director said was a “fantastic” program impacting 23 or 24 states, so they can get access to NIH money. The director said the key is fundamental structural reform to allow competition across institutions in different states, to essentially introduce a market for those facilities then with grants funded allow the institutions to compete to bring researchers to their institutions.  We need a mechanism at NIH that allows researchers to obtain grants no matter where they are.

Simpson also asked about fluoride, given his experience as a former dentist. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research is working on balancing fluoride use with risks and benefits, and the director agreed it was important for oral health. The key is the right dose delivered in the right way. Not having too highly fluoridated water is important, noted the NIH director.

Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman wanted to diversify the scientists who are recruited at NIH. She asked about NIH’s definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and said minorities need to be included in research. The director commented that if we don’t do research that improves the health of minority populations, we aren’t fulfilling our mission. His line in the sand is research that has no chance of improving human health, which he said NIH won’t fund. 

Representative Josh Harder focused on curating data sets, creating interdisciplinary teams, and sustaining long-term funding for research teams as ways for NIH to improve its processes to ensure groundbreaking research is done in our country. The director agreed with having a different way of doing things at NIH to make sure the U.S. remains at the forefront. Harder also wanted to talk about AI and to have an office that coordinates investments at NIH, like the Department of Energy is doing in the Genesis Mission. AI is very important to biomedical research, according to the director.