Follow this year's science budget through Congress
Every federal research dollar passes through the same gauntlet: the White House proposes, the House and Senate each write their own bills, and a final compromise gets enacted into law. Here is where the money landed for fiscal year 2026, and what is on the table for FY 2027.
FY 2026 · Enacted
A complete budget cycle, start to finish
For fiscal year 2026, the White House requested $155.2B in federal research and development. Congress enacted $195B — 25.6% above the request. This is the difference between what an administration proposes and what actually becomes law.
Total federal R&D moved up as it passed through Congress
Budget authority at each stage of the FY2026 appropriations process.
Congress raised every agency above the request
How far each agency's enacted FY 2026 budget landed from the White House request — the gap between what was proposed and what became law.
The request leaned on development; Congress rebalanced toward research
FY 2026 R&D by type of work — what the White House requested versus what Congress enacted.
Where the FY 2026 money landed, agency by agency
| Agency | White House request | House | Senate | Enacted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dept. of Defense | $88.7B | $92.3B | $92.2B | $100.7B |
| NIH | $27.5B | $46.3B | $44.3B | $45.2B |
| Dept. of Energy | $14B | $15.7B | $15.6B | $17B |
| NASA | $7.2B | $10.3B | $11.1B | $11B |
| NSF | $3.1B | $5.9B | $6.7B | $6.6B |
| Dept. of Commerce | $3.1B | $3.2B | $3.5B | $3.7B |
| Dept. of Agriculture | $2.5B | $3.6B | $3.6B | $3.6B |
The biggest single pots of nondefense science money
The ten largest budget accounts at civilian science agencies, as enacted for FY 2026. Account totals fund whole programs and can include activity beyond R&D; hover a row for what it funds.
FY 2027 · In progress
What’s proposed for next year
The FY 2027 budget is still moving through Congress. So far we have the White House request and the first House marks — the Senate bills and a final enacted number are not yet available. Here is how the request compares with what was enacted for FY 2026.
| Agency | FY 2026 enacted | FY 2027 request | Proposed change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dept. of Defense | $100.7B | $132B | +31.1% |
| NIH | $45.2B | $27.5B | -39% |
| Dept. of Energy | $17B | $13.7B | -19.3% |
| NASA | $11B | $6.5B | -40.4% |
| NSF | $6.6B | $2.9B | -55.5% |
| Dept. of Agriculture | $3.6B | $2.5B | -29.2% |
| Dept. of Commerce | $3.7B | $1.8B | -51% |
Common questions
- How much federal R&D funding did Congress enact for fiscal year 2026?
- Congress enacted about $195 billion in federal R&D budget authority for fiscal year 2026. That is 25.6% above the $155 billion the White House requested.
- What is the White House requesting for R&D in fiscal year 2027?
- The fiscal year 2027 budget request totals about $187 billion in R&D budget authority across the agencies tracked here. Congress is still working through the appropriations process, so these numbers will change before a budget is enacted.
- How does the federal R&D budget process work?
- Every federal research dollar passes through the same four stages. First the White House sends Congress a budget request. Then the House and Senate each write their own appropriations bills, which usually differ from the request and from each other. Finally the two chambers negotiate a compromise that is enacted into law. An agency's final budget can land far above or below what was originally requested.
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