Federal Legislative Update
Dear UMB Community,
I am writing to share encouraging news from Washington, D.C., regarding the recently passed Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill. This appropriations measure includes several important provisions that directly support the mission of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and academic health centers nationwide.
First, Congress reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to protecting the research enterprise by maintaining essential guardrails that ensure stability for institutions like ours. These include:
- Preservation of negotiated Facilities & Administrative rates, with bill and report language preventing any changes to the current federal indirect cost framework. This protection ensures that universities are reimbursed fairly for the true cost of conducting federally funded research.
- Restrictions on the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) multiyear funding practices, preventing expansion beyond FY25 levels — an important safeguard for future grant success rates and the number of research projects NIH can support.
- Clear limits on federal grant terminations, with new requirements that the Department of Health and Human Services consult with congressional committees before ending a grant and provide advanced notification of any planned termination. This transparency is critical for research continuity and protecting investments made by investigators and institutions.
- Strengthened oversight of federal agencies, including directives to ensure timely disbursement of grant funds and reporting requirements that guard against delays in awarding competitive grants.
These measures collectively reinforce a stable research environment — one that allows our investigators, clinicians, and trainees to pursue transformative work without facing sudden shifts in federal policy.
In addition to these guardrails, Congress provided meaningful investments across key public health and biomedical research agencies:
- NIH: $47.2 billion, including notable increases for the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Alzheimer’s research, the Office of Research on Women’s Health, diabetes research, ALS research, and maternal health research.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: $9.2 billion, with targeted increases for data modernization, public health infrastructure, and emerging infectious diseases.
- Health Resources and Services Administration: $8.9 billion, supporting health workforce development, maternal and child health, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and community health centers.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: $7.4 billion, including increases for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, State Opioid Response Grants, youth suicide prevention, and several mental health and substance use treatment initiatives.
These federal funding decisions directly benefit our schools, clinical partners, and research programs — from faculty who rely on NIH grants, to clinicians advancing public health practice, to community-focused programs addressing addiction, maternal health, and behavioral health.
Over the past several months, I have spent much of my time in Washington meeting with members of the Maryland congressional delegation and their staffs. As your president, it is both my duty and my privilege to advocate for the resources and policies essential to advancing UMB’s mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good.
I want to express our deep appreciation for Maryland’s federal delegation. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and our Maryland House members have consistently championed policies that strengthen academic medicine, support scientific research, and expand access to care. Their leadership and steadfast advocacy were instrumental in ensuring that the FY26 legislation protects and advances the work that institutions like UMB carry out on behalf of our state and the nation.
Finally, I want to thank Kevin Kelly, JD, chief government affairs officer and vice president, and our Office of Government Affairs, as well as our many faculty, staff, and students who have engaged in advocacy efforts over the past several months. By sharing your stories, your research, and your expertise, you help inform policymakers about the real-world impact of our work on the people and communities we serve.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
