Alec Simantov
Senior Research Analyst for the Research Universities Practice. In his current role as a Director, Alec leverages his expertise on the Federal budget and Congressional appropriations to provide strategic oversight on policy and legislative developments. Alec also co-leads internal content and knowledge management to shape the growth and development of the practice, including the advancement of the practice’s strategic intelligence function.
Federal Government Reopens to Grant Review Delays
The federal government reopened last week on November 13, 2025, after Congress passed a continuing resolution temporarily funding the government through January 30, 2026. The 43-day shutdown escalated staffing issues across the federal government. Reductions-in-force (RIFs) from earlier this year mean less staff to help agencies return to pre-shutdown levels of activity. After the last government shutdown in 2019 (35 days) it took agencies like NIH and NSF several weeks to clear backlogs and return to normal levels of operation. Some current estimates suggest a full recovery could take until March 2026.
As the holiday season rapidly approaches, timelines will take longer and stretch into Q1 2026.
Congress Rejects White House Cuts to Agricultural Research
The bill also included full-year funding for USDA and its research programs. Extramural and intramural research at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) are now funded through fiscal year 2026 (FY26). Congress rejected the administration’s proposed cuts to ARS and NIFA. The bill increased ARS funding by 3.7% and made minor cuts to NIFA’s budget, keeping it effectively flat compared to FY25.
The bill also extended the reauthorization deadline for the Farm Bill, including federally funded research programs, to September 30, 2026. Some programs, like the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and Scholarships for 1890 Institutions, received additional federal funding from the GOP-passed reconciliation bill earlier this year. These programs now have expanded FY26 funding.
Funding at Risk for Science Agencies and SBIR/STTR
The federal government can now operate through January 30, 2026. However, Congress still needs to pass the remaining funding bills to finalize FY26 federal funding for science and research agencies like DOE, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. Congress also needs to address other must pass legislation like the annual National Defense Authorization Act and the expired SBIR/STTR program. Efforts in Congress to move quickly on another “minibus” funding package for FY26 face increasing headwinds. As the holidays approach, there are concerns about whether Congress can pass the outstanding bills before January.
Ongoing Debates Threaten Timelines for FY26 and FY27
The partisan political disagreements that precipitated the shutdown remain unresolved and could once again derail progress on FY26 funding. This could also push the FY27 appropriations process back with another delayed release of the White House’s budget request. The late release of the President’s Budget Request in May caused significant delays in the work of the Appropriations Committees in Congress.
However, with the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, 2026, there are better incentives in place for both parties to complete the FY26 cycle. Agreement on FY27 funding will likely occur after the election. Congress will also need to contend with long standing delays over other major program reauthorizations for quantum, AI, and biomedical research. The Republican majority also indicated plans to pursue another reconciliation bill, making for a jam-packed legislative year ahead into a pivotal election season.
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