NIH Budget Cuts Proposed for FY2021

On February 10, 2020, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Trump administration's proposed budget for the U.S. Government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. Under the budget proposal, total funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would decline by 10 percent, compared to FY2020 levels.

A budget analysis published by HHS indicates that several public health research programs would see funding cuts. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would receive $37.7 billion in discretionary funding, which represents a cut of $2.6 billion or 6.5% (compared to FY2020 levels). All NIH programs would see cuts. Among the worst affected would be: 

• the National Institute of Mental Health, whose funding would decline by $198 million or 9.7 percent (compared to FY2020 levels);
• the National Institute on Aging, whose funding would decline by $320 million or 9 percent (compared to FY2020 levels);
• the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, whose funding would decline by $327 million or 9 percent (compared to FY2020 levels); 
• the National Cancer Institute, whose funding would decline by $559 million or 8.7 percent (compared to FY2020 levels); and
• the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose funding would decline by $430 million or 7.3 percent (compared to FY2020 levels).

The budget would also cut funding for the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, within HHS, by $85 million dollars. This has prompted concern among public health officials who have warned that the Center's work is essential to address major public health threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Other HHS offices involved in responding to the pandemic are also facing cuts. For example, under the budget proposal, funding for the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response would be cut by $25 million and funding for the Hospital Preparedness Program would be cut by $18 million.