Senate appropriators advanced fiscal‑2026 spending packages that would largely reject the Trump administration’s proposed research cuts and allocate about $188.3 billion to scientific research — roughly 21.3% more than the White House requested. The bills would underwrite agencies critical to university research, including a sizable NSF allocation and a near‑term boost for NIH. The committee’s NSF proposal (about $8.8 billion) and an NIH level set near $48.7 billion were called out by advocates as necessary to sustain campus labs, regional research facilities and graduate training. AAAS and university research offices framed the Senate action as a defense of the federal university‑research partnership. Congress must resolve final appropriations by Jan. 30 to avert shutdown risk; universities and funded researchers will watch conference negotiations for program‑level outcomes and guidance on AI, quantum and regional innovation investments.