Most scientists assumed grant money would start to flow soon after federal research agencies received their annual appropriation from Congress in late January. But in fact, under President Donald Trump, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is using what has historically been a routine process for releasing funds to slow things down. That has prompted fears that key research agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) might end up spending much less this year than the amount they received from Congress.

As Science and Nature have reported, NIH and NSF have made only a relative handful of new grants since their 2026 appropriations became law, partly because of the OMB delays. A new rumor among the U.S. academic community is that, even after OMB signs off, it will hold agencies to the levels Trump requested for them in May 2025 rather than the more generous amounts Congress approved. For NSF, which received an appropriation of $8.8 billion, a version of those rumors holds that OMB must approve any spending above the president’s request of $3.9 billion – and that any additional outlays must clearly align with the administration’s priorities.

Source https://www.science.org/content/article/analysis-why-research-money-isn-t-flowing-nsf-and-nih

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