With the shutdown finally resolved, federal activity is beginning to stabilize and agencies are working to restore normal operations. This reopening marks an important shift for the life sciences community, which can now reengage with regulators, grantmaking agencies and congressional offices after weeks of uncertainty.
The bill that ended the lapse funds most of the federal government at current year levels through January 30 of 2026 and provides full year funding for certain agencies, including the FDA. Because the FDA now has full year certainty, its review work, meetings, inspections and regulatory timelines are far less likely to face funding related delays. Companies can plan clinical and regulatory activities with more confidence even as NIH and NSF remain under a shorter deadline, which creates some lingering uncertainty across the broader research ecosystem. Reopening plans for NIH can be found here.
Agencies that matter most to the life sciences sector are reopening their lines of communication and returning to more predictable engagement. NIH and NSF staff are beginning to clear delayed inquiries, respond to grant related questions and restart interactions that had been paused during the shutdown. FDA teams are resuming their usual cadence of meetings, feedback cycles, and guidance related conversations, which should help restore clarity around review timelines and regulatory expectations. While some backlogs will persist, companies and researchers should now see steadier communication as agency staff work through the accumulated queue.
While the government reopening provides the life sciences community a brief window of stability, another funding fight is already approaching. Congress is returning to budget and appropriations work that will be essential for keeping agencies like NIH and NSF on stable footing. Key policy priorities that stalled during the shutdown are also back in play, including reauthorization of the SBIR and STTR programs and consideration of HR 5343, the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act. These negotiations will be challenging, and lawmakers are preparing for difficult deliberations in the weeks ahead.
Have questions, comments, or concerns about these bills or any other pending legislation? Get in touch with LSW’s Public Affairs Manager, Curtis Knapp.