The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) is disappointed in the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 27) budget proposal released by President Donald J. Trump. Under the proposed budget, funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be cut by $5.787 billion, reducing the agency’s overall budget to $41.429 billion – 12.3 percent below the FY 26 total.
For decades, the NIH has funded breakthroughs that have led to effective treatments for cancers that were once fatal. Advances in immunotherapies and precision medicine have expanded the possibilities of customized cancer treatment. Early detection tools help diagnose cancer when it’s most treatable – and most affordable to treat. When funding is cut, promising science is shelved, clinical trials are halted, and patients lose access to the treatments that could save or extend their lives.
Further cuts to NIH funding would hinder the agency’s effectiveness and contradict the stated goals of its leadership. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who began his tenure as NIH director just over one year ago, has repeatedly stressed the importance of engendering trust and restoring confidence in scientific research among the American people. Stable, predictable funding increases bolster the research infrastructure that is essential to building trust and accelerating progress against cancer and other devastating diseases.
AACI deeply appreciates the ongoing efforts of members of Congress—on both sides of the aisle—who have demonstrated their commitment to protecting funding for the NIH. We urge Congress to continue its longstanding bipartisan support of biomedical research and reject the FY 27 budget proposal. AACI is eager to collaborate with our champions in Congress, NIH leadership, and the Trump administration to ensure that scientists can conduct lifesaving research without disruption and that the NIH will remain a world leader in biomedical research.
