The White House lifted an Office of Management and Budget hold that had constrained the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from obligating its 2026 research budget. NIH Director Jayanta Bhattacharya told House appropriators the agency now has full apportionment and will ramp new grant awards and fill vacant leadership posts. Lawmakers had pressed OMB after a sharp slowdown in new competing grants; appropriators had earlier rejected deep cuts and provided a modest increase to NIH funding for 2026. Bhattacharya said the agency will disburse funds by the end of the year and prioritize ‘excellent science’ while addressing operational backlogs created by the hold.