The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

Senate Releases Two Funding Bills Which Include F&A Cap Blocking Language Directed at OMB and the Department of Energy
NIH to End SBIR/STTR Funding Opportunities
Bipartisan Letter of Support for Foreign Students and Scholars Issued by Former National Security and Foreign Policy Officials
New Executive Order on AI to Mobilize Federal Labs

The DC Digest will return after the Thanksgiving holiday on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

The Highlights 📰

Budget & Appropriations

The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.

Duke Government Relations' primer on the federal appropriations process.

SENATE RELEASES FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT BILL; COMMITTEE URGES OMB COLLABORATION ON INDIRECT COST POLICY

Senate Republican appropriators released the FY26 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) bill, accompanied by a committee report that includes significant language encouraging OMB to work with universities to refine federal indirect cost (F&A) rate policy. The report recognizes the essential role that indirect cost recovery plays in supporting compliance, research operations, and institutional infrastructure, and calls for a consensus-driven approach to “optimizing” rates. Beyond this language, the $26.9 billion package proposes cuts across Treasury, IRS, and several independent agencies, while modestly increasing funding for the judiciary. Current funding for these agencies expires January 30.

FSGG Bill

DRAFT FY26 ENERGY–WATER BILL INCLUDES PROVISION FOR FREEZING DOE INDIRECT COST POLICIES

Senate Republican appropriators released their FY26 Energy–Water bill, which includes a provision explicitly prohibiting the Department of Energy from modifying or implementing any changes to negotiated indirect cost (F&A) rates, requiring DOE to continue applying FY24 rates across all federal financial assistance programs. The language effectively freezes DOE’s indirect cost policies and prevents the department from pursuing any revisions. The broader $57.5 billion package proposes cuts to several clean energy programs while preserving or increasing funding for nuclear energy, the Office of Science, and fossil energy R&D. Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray criticized reductions to renewable energy but signaled she will continue negotiating ahead of the Jan. 30 funding deadline. The bill also includes directives to study grid flexibility from large industrial and data center loads.

Energy and Water Bill

Research

The latest updates on legislation and regulations that impact Duke's research enterprise.

NIH ISSUES NOTICE OF EARLY EXPIRATION FOR SBIR/STTR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
On November 17, NIH released Notice NOT-OD-26-006 to inform stakeholders that the authorization for the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) programs has lapsed as of October 1, 2025. Because of this lapse, all active NIH SBIR/STTR funding opportunity announcements listed in the notice are now expired/closed—no new applications will be accepted until Congress reauthorizes the programs. While existing awards may continue, NIH will not issue non-competing continuation awards for those programs until a reauthorization is in place.

Grant News

Immigration

The latest updates on legislation and regulatory actions related to immigration that are relevant to Duke.

NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY LEADERS URGE RUBIO TO PROTECT GLOBAL TALENT FLOWS
A group of former senior U.S. ambassadors, national security leaders and State Department officials sent a letter on November 17, to Secretary Rubio and senior Department of State leadership expressing concern about recent policies affecting the entry and mobility of international students and researchers. The signatories warn that overly broad or opaque vetting practices risk deterring global talent and undermining U.S. leadership in science, technology and innovation. They emphasize that international scholars have historically made significant contributions to national competitiveness, economic growth, and the strength of U.S. universities and research institutions. The letter urges the Department to clarify its policies, ensure due process, and avoid actions that inadvertently weaken America’s scientific and diplomatic standing.

Letter to State Department

Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke

NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER MOBILIZES FEDERAL LABS, DATA AND AI IN GENESIS MISSION
On November 24, the White House issued an Executive Order establishing the Genesis Mission—a coordinated, national effort to accelerate scientific discovery using artificial intelligence (AI). The Department of Energy (DOE) is tasked with creating an infrastructure platform to harness the federal government’s vast scientific datasets, national laboratory supercomputing capabilities, and partnerships with the private sector and academia to train foundational models, drive hypothesis generation, and automate research workflows. The order frames this initiative as akin to a modern “Manhattan Project” or “Apollo-era” mobilization of scientific resources.

Genesis

Government Relations Resources

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