NIH Awarded Fewer Grants in Fiscal Year 2026

The National Institutes of Health issued 60,924 grant awards, marking the lowest count in six years.

Updated on Oct. 3, 2026 in COVID-19

Isometric editorial illustration showing stacked laboratory beakers, representing the shift in NIH multiyear grant funding commitments. — The National Institutes of Health issued 60,924 grant awards in fiscal year 2026, the lowest annual total in six years. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should the federal government prioritize distributing research funds across a larger number of individual grants?

The National Institutes of Health issued 60,924 grant awards as of September 24, 2026. This figure represents the lowest number of awards granted by the agency over the past six fiscal years.

Why it matters

The NIH shifted its financial strategy toward multiyear commitments rather than funding projects one year at a time. This change in funding structure has resulted in a lower total count of individual awards despite stable overall obligations.

The NIH issued 60,924 grants, which is 11 percent below the five-year average. Total obligations for the agency reached $35.2 billion as of September 24.

The players

National Institutes of Health

This is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research.

White House

This institution serves as the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States.

The details

By committing several years of funding at once to fewer projects, the agency has adjusted its operational approach for the current fiscal cycle. While the grant count has decreased, total funding obligations remain essentially level with those from fiscal year 2025.

September 23, 2026: The White House shelved a plan for a political commission with grant veto power.
September 24, 2026: The NIH reported a total of 60,924 grant awards and $35.2 billion in obligations.
September 30, 2026: The federal fiscal year 2026 concluded.

The Big Picture

This decline in total grant volume reflects the adoption of the NIH Multi-Year Funding Strategy. This approach marks a departure from historical yearly project cycles, aiming to consolidate research support into larger, longer-term commitments.

Researchers and institutions may see a change in how they manage budgets and project timelines due to the shift toward multiyear funding. This transition could alter the landscape for future clinical studies and the timeline for medical research developments.

The takeaway

The reduction in individual grant counts is a result of structural changes rather than a decrease in overall federal commitment. Researchers should prepare for a funding landscape that emphasizes fewer, more sustained multiyear awards.