Sponsors (2)
The bill provides modest, predictable funding and shifts more grant dollars toward direct research by capping indirect costs—improving project support and planning for researchers—while reducing overhead recovery for institutions, adding administrative inconsistency, and increasing federal spending by $75 million over five years.
Scientists and small businesses receive a larger share of grant dollars for direct research and program delivery because indirect-cost rates are limited to section 1462 levels, freeing more funds for project activities.
Land-grant institutions and researchers get predictable, dedicated funding: $15 million per year for FY2025–2029 for programs under section 1477, supporting multi-year planning and research continuity.
Making the indirect-cost rule effective on enactment gives immediate clarity for award budgeting and administration, helping institutions plan and submit compliant proposals without delay.
Universities and nonprofits may recover less overhead because of the lower indirect‑cost cap, straining administrative budgets and potentially discouraging some institutions from participating in these grants.
Exempting these awards from the indirect‑cost limitation in section 1473 creates inconsistency across USDA grant programs and adds administrative complexity for institutions and state governments managing multiple federal awards.
Taxpayers fund an additional $75 million over five years ($15 million per year) to support these programs, increasing federal spending.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes $15M per year for FY2025–2029 for aquaculture research programs and changes which statutory indirect-cost limitation applies to those awards.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by Roger F. Wicker · Last progress July 31, 2025
Authorizes $15 million per year for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 for aquaculture research program(s) under the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act. It also changes which federal indirect-cost rule applies to those awards: the bill applies the indirect-cost limitation in one statute and exempts these awards from a different statutory indirect-cost limitation, with that change taking effect on enactment.