In Fiscal Year 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded $36.58 billion in research grants to organizations in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
According to UMR’s analysis, this research funding supported 390,863 jobs and produced $94.15 billion in new economic activity nationwide in 2025. For every $1 invested in NIH research, there was $2.57 generated in economic activity — a 250% return.
Every State Benefits
NIH funding supports jobs, for researchers, lab technicians, support staff and others, in communities across the country — while driving demand for equipment, materials, and local services.
The wages and purchases tied to NIH research circulate through state and local economies, strengthening communities everywhere.
The Impact of Multi-Year Funding
Although total funding remained strong, FY2025 saw significant shifts in how awards were distributed. NIH made expanded use of multi-year funding (MYF) — obligating the full value of certain grants upfront rather than distributing funding annually.
While this approach enabled NIH to spend its full budget, it resulted in 5,564 fewer grants funded in FY2025 compared to FY2024 since money set aside for the remaining years of the MYF grants was not available to support other new and competing research projects.
A Critical Bipartisan Priority
Thanks to strong bipartisan leadership, NIH funding over the last decade has generated $822 billion in economic activity and supported 3.7 million jobs nationwide.
At a time when other nations are increasing investments in biomedical research, maintaining strong, sustainable NIH funding is critical to preserving U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and global leadership.
Our Sponsors
The 2026 Annual Economic Report was produced with financial support from the following sponsors: the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Act for NIH Foundation, and the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).
We are grateful for their partnership and commitment to sustaining this important resource.
