Chronicle of Higher Education

January 14, 2014

By Kelly Field

Washington

Federal lawmakers reached agreement late Monday on a long-overdue spending bill for the 2014 fiscal year that would provide an additional $1-billion for the National Institutes of Health and raise the maximum Pell Grant by an estimated $85, to $5,730.

The omnibus spending bill, which would fund the federal government through the end of September, would cut spending on the National Science Foundation by $82-million below the enacted level for 2013.

It would provide a $49-million increase for Federal Work-Study and a $37-million increase for supplemental education grants, while raising spending on the TRIO college-preparatory programs by $42-million.

The bill includes $75-million for President Obama’s proposed “First in the World” grant program, aimed at encouraging colleges and universities to take steps to improve educational outcomes and reduce the net price paid by students and families.

The NIH increase, if enacted, should allow the agency to continue all current research programs and begin approximately 385 additional research studies and trials, according to the bill’s authors.

Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read the News & Observer’s story on a letter authored by North Carolina Senator Richard Burr and Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey calling on appropriators to prioritize funding for medical research.