Kansas leaders ask why federal healthcare research dollars haven’t been released

Kansas healthcare leaders and a U.S. Representative are questioning delays in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for research, which has allocated only 33% of its $26 billion annual budget by mid-fiscal 2026. The delays are affecting research into diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, with Kansas experiencing an $182 million drop in new awards. Legislators have asked the Department of Health and Human Services about staffing shortages impacting grant distribution.