SENATORS MCCORMICK AND FETTERMAN PRESS HHS ON CANCELED HEALTH RESEARCH GRANTS

Pennsylvania senators seek answers on AHRQ grant cancellations affecting researchers at CHOP and the University of Pittsburgh

WASHINGTON - Recently, U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to share their concerns regarding the recent cancellation of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grants and the impact this will have on Pennsylvania research institutions.

On July 15, more than 150 AHRQ grantees, including researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pittsburgh, were notified that funding for ongoing, multi-year research projects would be canceled. Many of the affected projects had already undergone peer review and received federal funding in prior years.

"While we greatly appreciate the Department of Health and Human Services' commitment to ensuring federally funded research invests in scientific innovation and delivers meaningful value for taxpayers, we believe these objectives should be balanced with consideration of projects that have already undergone peer review and received federal funding," said Senators McCormick and Fetterman.

The senators cautioned that abruptly ending multi-year projects after substantial federal investment could waste taxpayer resources, disrupt ongoing research, eliminate jobs, and delay innovations aimed at improving patient care. They also raised concerns that uncertainty surrounding continued federal research support could make it harder for institutions to plan long-term projects and retain experienced researchers.

McCormick and Fetterman requested that HHS provide their offices with a briefing by September 25, 2026, detailing:

• The criteria used to determine which AHRQ grants were canceled, and which will continue;
• How a prior federal investment, project progress, and potential disruption to researchers and personnel factor into funding decisions;
• Whether affected institutions have opportunities to seek reconsideration or otherwise mitigate the impact of terminated funding;
• Whether HHS plans to reallocate funds that otherwise would have supported the canceled grants; and
• The Department's long-term plan for AHRQ and its role in supporting safe, effective, and affordable health care research for the American people.

The letter follows previous efforts by Senators McCormick and Fetterman to protect Pennsylvania's research enterprise. In May, the senators urged the National Institutes of Health to move quickly to obligate congressionally appropriated FY2026 grant funding, citing the importance of federal research investments to Pennsylvania jobs, scientific breakthroughs, and U.S. leadership in biomedical research.

Read the full text of the letter here.

Full text of the letter:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We are writing to express our concern regarding the recent cancelation of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grants and the impact on Pennsylvania's research institutions and their efforts to improve health care outcomes for the patients they serve.

On July 15, 2026, more than 150 AHRQ grantees, including researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pittsburgh, were notified of the cancelation of funding for ongoing, multi-year research projects. These cancelations are affecting awards that have undergone peer review and have received prior-year funding. Abruptly ending these multi-year projects, after substantial federal investment, risks wasting taxpayer resources while disrupting research, eliminating jobs, and delaying innovations to improve patient care.

While we appreciate the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) commitment to ensuring federally funded research promotes scientific rigor and delivers meaningful value for taxpayers, we believe these objectives should be balanced with consideration of projects that have already undergone review and received federal funding. Careful stewardship of federal research spending is important to maintaining public trust in our nation's research enterprise.

As the Department implements these reforms, it is imperative that changes are carried out in a manner that preserves the value of existing federal investments. To that end, the recent decision to end continuation funding for ongoing AHRQ grants may create uncertainty around federal research support, making it harder for institutions to plan long-term projects, retain experienced researchers, and pursue future scientific breakthroughs. Over time, this instability risks weakening our nation's leadership in scientific research.

To better understand the Department's perspective, planning, and prioritization, we respectfully request that HHS provide a briefing on the Department's approach to these funding decisions no later than September 25, 2026, with topics to include:

1. The criteria utilized by the Department to determine which AHRQ grants were canceled and which will continue;
2. How the Department considers prior federal investment, project progress, and potential disruptions to research and personnel when making these decisions;
3. Whether affected institutions have opportunities to seek reconsideration or otherwise mitigate the impact of terminated funding;
4. Department plans to reallocate funds that otherwise would have supported the affected grants; and
5. The Department's long-term plan for AHRQ and the role it plays in supporting research that promotes safe, effective, and affordable health care for the American people.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing from the Department and working together to ensure our nation's research enterprise remains strong and effective.

Sincerely,
David H. McCormick
United States Senator

John Fetterman
United States Senator