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UCSF gets federal funding for long COVID clinical trial network

UCSF gets federal funding for long COVID clinical trial network

Money Moves San Francisco, CA local

Defense Health Agency commits $7.1 million for PROBE-PASC

August 18th, 2026: Defense Health Agency awards $7.1M for PROBE-PASC

Overview

Updated Sep 2

The Defense Health Agency has committed $7.1 million to UC San Francisco for a clinical trial network studying the biological mechanisms of long COVID. The award, recorded Aug. 18, covers work starting Sept. 1 under the PROBE-PASC project.

The money is obligated, not spent. It is one piece of a federal research budget that UCSF, the largest public recipient of NIH funding, has seen come under pressure from proposed caps on indirect costs.

Why it matters

Long COVID has no proven mechanism-based treatment; this network is designed to find one.

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Key Indicators

$7.1M
New federal award to UCSF
Obligated by the Defense Health Agency for PROBE-PASC; not yet spent.
$824M
UCSF's NIH funding in fiscal year 2025
Largest public recipient of NIH awards in the U.S. and second overall.
15%
Proposed NIH indirect cost cap
Blocked in court; would have cut UCSF funding by about $138 million per year.

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Organizations Involved

Regents of the University of California
Regents of the University of California
University system governing board
Legal recipient of the federal award

Governing body of the University of California system; legally receives federal awards on behalf of campuses.
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
Public university and health system
Research institution where PROBE-PASC will operate

UC San Francisco is a public research university focused entirely on health sciences.
Defense Health Agency
Defense Health Agency
Department of Defense health agency
Funding source for the PROBE-PASC award

The Department of Defense agency that manages military health services and funds health research.

Timeline

February 2025 August 2026

4 events Latest: August 18th, 2026 · 3 months ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Defense Health Agency awards $7.1M for PROBE-PASC

    Latest Funding

    The agency obligated $7.1 million to UCSF for a clinical trial network studying the biological pathways of long COVID. Work starts Sept. 1.

  2. UCSF closes FY 2025 with record NIH funding

    Milestone

    UCSF received $824 million in NIH awards, the most of any public university in the U.S.

  3. Federal judge blocks NIH indirect cost cap

    Legal

    A judge halted the cap after 22 states sued, including California. The relief was temporary.

  4. NIH proposes 15% cap on indirect costs

    Policy

    The National Institutes of Health announced a cap on facilities and administrative funding, threatening UCSF with about $138 million in annual losses.

Scenarios

1

UCSF opens PROBE-PASC trial to enrollment

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: UCSF and the Defense Health Agency, through the award record

The award's start date of Sept. 1, 2026, makes a near-term launch likely. If the network follows standard trial timelines, the first study should open within months. Enrollment would be the project's first concrete step beyond the funding announcement.

2

PROBE-PASC publishes first mechanistic findings

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Standard clinical trial timelines; no public forecast has been issued

A mechanism-focused trial needs data, analysis, and peer review. A published finding would be the first evidence that the network's approach works.

3

Defense Health Agency cuts PROBE-PASC award

Unlikely Resolves by Q3 2027

Discussed by: The funding volatility documented by SF Standard

Federal agencies can reduce obligations after an award. The Department of Defense budget process or a broader funding squeeze could prompt a cut, though obligated funds are usually spent.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2021-2023

NIH RECOVER Initiative (2021)

Congress gave the National Institutes of Health $1.15 billion to study long COVID. The RECOVER program enrolled tens of thousands of patients but has not produced an approved treatment.

Then

Produced large observational datasets; no therapy.

Now

Made long COVID a named federal research priority.

Why this matters now

PROBE-PASC pursues the same goal with a different method: clinical trials designed to identify biological pathways.

1987

AIDS Clinical Trials Group (1987)

The NIH created a national network for AIDS drug trials when HIV was untreatable.

Then

The network produced data leading to antiretroviral combinations.

Now

Turned AIDS from fatal to chronic and became a model for disease-specific trial networks.

Why this matters now

Shows a dedicated trial network can move an unknown syndrome toward treatment.

Sources

(3)
USASpending.gov UCSF Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost SF Standard