Proposed US Spending Bill Boosts Science Funding

NIH, NSF, and the DOE’s Office of Science will be among the agencies with budget increases if the omnibus bill is passed.

Written byShawna Williams

| 2 min read

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US capitol building FLICKR, ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOLUpdate (March 23): The Senate and House of Representatives have both passed the spending bill, and President Trump is expected to sign it into law.

A $1.3-trillion spending agreement reached yesterday (March 21) includes funding increases for most US science funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and NASA. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill today.

“Research!America applauds the unprecedented boost in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and significant increases for other federal health agencies in FY18 to accelerate medical progress, public health and scientific innovation,” Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley says in a statement. “The omnibus bill is a positive step forward in strengthening our global competitiveness and our nation's commitment to research and public health.”

The bill, which covers federal spending for the current fiscal year, would increase the NIH budget by $3 ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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