The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have reached an agreement where the NIH will transfer funds to the DoD to support medical countermeasure research. The deal, signed roughly a month ago and released last Friday, will draw from the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) budget, which Congress has allocated $6.6 billion for in 2026. The agreement aims to advance the development of medical countermeasures against pandemic influenza, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, and emerging infectious diseases.
The agreement is set to last for a decade. Reporting by *Nature* suggests the Department of Defense initially sought up to a third of the NIAID budget, but is expected to receive around 10 percent. The 2026 Defense budget is approximately $1 trillion, but is currently under strain due to the conflict with Iran.
The move is notable given the budget disparities between the two agencies and the fact that the funding will support projects that current NIH leadership previously rejected. The NIH has also been experiencing difficulties in issuing grants with the funds already allocated by Congress.
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