President Signs Bill with Biggest NIH Increase in More than a Decade
Years of advocacy efforts by SfN members and research advocates paid off with the recent passage of significant funding increases for NIH and NSF. On December 18, President Barack Obama signed into law the FY2016 omnibus spending package. The act eliminates sequestration cuts for FY2016 and allots $32 billion for NIH—a $2 billion dollar increase from last year and the agency’s strongest support since 2003. Of the total amount, $150 million is dedicated to the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.
The act also increased funding for NSF to nearly $7.5 billion, $119 million above the FY2015 appropriation. This amount includes almost $147 million for the Understanding the Brain project, which includes the NSF portion of the BRAIN Initiative.
SfN members, in collaboration with allies from across the country, sent thousands of messages in support of these increases. SfN applauds the significant support for biomedical research funding and looks forward to working together in the future to maintain sustained and predictable funding increases for NIH and NSF. Click here to thank the President and your elected officials for prioritizing biomedical and basic research.
