Biological Sciences

Policy Update: HHS Announces Changes to GRAS Designations and Proposes Federal Definition of UPFs

August 11, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued two food policy announcements that seek to modernize federal oversight of food ingredients and establish a stronger scientific foundation for future nutrition policy. In particular, the policy announcements aim to increase oversight on substances added to foods that...

Washington Update - August 13, 2026

August 13, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC periodically provides campus with a Washington Update report. In this report:

Policy Update: HHS Announces Changes to GRAS Designations and Proposes Federal Definition of UPFs Funding Opportunity: State Department Issues "Project Constellation" Solicitation, Focuses on Space Diplomacy and Artemis Accords (This is a limited submission opportunity. The campus...

Engagement Opportunity: NIH Releases RFI on Proposed Changes to Peer Review Reporting Outcomes Following Unified Funding Strategy Webinar

August 19, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

On August 14, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) hosted a webinar, Understanding NIH's Unified Funding Strategy: What the Research Community Needs to Know, outlining how the Unified Funding Strategy guides funding decisions across NIH. As a reminder, within theframework for the strategy, NIH will move away from reliance on...

Funding Opportunity: NSF Releases NOFOs for Core Research, FY26 Expeditions, & New EFRI Solicitations

August 19, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC
On August 17, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced 10 new notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for core research programs along with several specific solicitations for larger programs. The announcement stated that NSF plans to provide $1.5 billion for foundational research across science and engineering. These new funding releases follow NSF's new vision for research funding, which aims to reduce the overall number of solicitations from the agency and adopt a...

Funding Opportunity: ONR Releases FY 2027 Young Investigator Program (YIP)

August 19, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) released its fiscal year (FY) 2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) for the Young Investigator Program (YIP). This highly competitive program supports early-career university faculty by providing multi-year research grants and a pathway into the Navy’s research enterprise. ONR YIP is especially interested in highly innovative individuals who can contribute to national security and warfighter capabilities, with the potential for sustained, long-term support throughout their academic careers. Unlike previous solicitations which focused...

Washington Update - July 31, 2026

July 31, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC periodically provides campus with a Washington Update report. In this report:

Policy Update: HHS Issues Dangerous Gain of Function Policy Agency Update: Several U.S. Agencies Announce Initiatives to Partner on the Genesis Mission Funding Opportunity: Department of Defense Releases FY 2027 DURIP Solicitations Funding Opportunity: Large Federal R&D Funding Opportunities Funding Opportunity: U.S. Wildland Fire Service Releases FY27 Joint Fire...

Large Federal R&D Funding Opportunities

July 30, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke's Large Federal R&D Funding Opportunities memo provides an overview of major funding opportunities for federal agencies, changes to their funding approaches, and updates on timing and outlook for longtime center programs where intel is available. Please note that there is significant uncertainty in timing of many opportunities within agencies, and new opportunities are increasingly issued with quick turnaround times. The report also includes “...

Funding Opportunity: Department of Defense Releases FY 2027 DURIP Solicitations

July 30, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

he Department of Defense (DOD) released a program announcement for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) competition. DURIP is an annual program under DOD’s University Research Initiative (URI) that provides funding for major, state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation (from $50,000 to $3 million) that support defense-related research activities.

DOD anticipates awarding approximately $28 million dollars in funding for this initiative, roughly $6 million less than estimated in FY 2026. Individual one-year awards...

Policy Update: HHS Issues Dangerous Gain of Function Policy

July 28, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a government-wide policy to end dangerous high-risk life science research. As described more fully in the attached document, the new policy establishes a new framework to oversee life-sciences research, including broad prohibitions on federal funding for “dangerous gain of function (DGOF)”...

Washington Update - July 24, 2026

July 24, 2026
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC periodically provides campus with a Washington Update report. In this report:

Policy Update: White House Provides Major Updates on Science and Technology Priorities Congressional...