NIH funding profile · Chicago, IL · Higher education
Northwestern University NIH Funding
Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed October 16, 2026Data refreshed October 16, 2026Editorial standards
Northwestern University received $459.4M in NIH award funding in fiscal year 2026 across 711 award records and 643 principal investigators. That ranks #18 of 2,407 NIH-funded institutions and #1 in Illinois, up 12.5% from FY2025.
FY2026 closed on September 30, 2026, but NIH keeps posting that year's awards to RePORTER for several weeks. FY2026 figures reflect records available on October 16, 2026 and may rise slightly at the next refresh.
FY2026 NIH funding
$459.4M
+12.5% vs FY2025
National rank
#18
Up 3 places from #21 vs FY2025
Rank in Illinois
#1
35.0% of Illinois NIH funding
Awards · PIs
711
643 investigators · 157 new projects
NIH funding trend, FY2022–FY2026
Northwestern University received $2.10B in NIH awards over these five fiscal years. Annual funding moved +15.8% from FY2022 to FY2026. Its best national rank in the period was #18 (FY2026).
NIH institutes funding Northwestern University, FY2026
25 NIH institutes and centers administered awards here in FY2026. The largest, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), accounted for 16.4% of the institution's NIH funding across 97 awards.
- NHLBI · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute$75.5M · 16.4%
97 awards · vs FY2025: +18.2%
- NCI · National Cancer Institute$60.5M · 13.2%
96 awards · vs FY2025: −0.3%
- NIAID · National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases$54.2M · 11.8%
86 awards · vs FY2025: +12.7%
- NIA · National Institute on Aging$51.0M · 11.1%
52 awards · vs FY2025: +18.3%
- NINDS · National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke$45.9M · 10.0%
78 awards · vs FY2025: +25.8%
- NIDDK · National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases$27.3M · 5.9%
45 awards · vs FY2025: −1.8%
- NIGMS · National Institute of General Medical Sciences$24.8M · 5.4%
52 awards · vs FY2025: +51.8%
- NIMH · National Institute of Mental Health$24.1M · 5.2%
37 awards · vs FY2025: +5.8%
- NICHD · Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development$17.0M · 3.7%
35 awards · vs FY2025: +40.2%
- NIDA · National Institute on Drug Abuse$11.0M · 2.4%
19 awards · vs FY2025: +24.3%
Also: NIDCD $10.9M · NIAMS $10.7M · OD $10.1M · NCATS $9.3M · NEI $8.2M · NIBIB $4.8M · NHGRI $3.3M · NCCIH $2.7M · NIMHD $2.7M · NINR $1.4M · NLM $1.3M · FIC $768K · NIAAA $652K · NIDCR $633K · NIEHS $609K
Award mechanism mix
Share of NIH award dollars by activity-code family in FY2026, with the FY2022 share for comparison. R01-equivalent research grants were 53.6% of funding.
- R01-equivalent53.6% · FY22 51.7%
- Cooperative agreements (U)19.6% · FY22 20.0%
- Other research (R)10.7% · FY22 7.0%
- Centers & program projects (P)8.4% · FY22 10.5%
- Institutional training (T)2.5% · FY22 2.2%
- Career development (K)2.1% · FY22 1.8%
- Other1.5% · FY22 3.8%
- Contracts (N)1.2% · FY22 2.2%
- Fellowships (F)0.5% · FY22 0.7%
Top activity codes, FY2026
| Code | Awards | Funding | Share | Average award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R01 | 337 | $230.7M | 50.2% | $684K |
| U01 | 33 | $35.0M | 7.6% | $1.1M |
| R35 | 38 | $23.1M | 5.0% | $608K |
| P30 | 6 | $15.1M | 3.3% | $2.5M |
| P01 | 5 | $12.2M | 2.7% | $2.4M |
| P50 | 5 | $11.0M | 2.4% | $2.2M |
| T32 | 32 | $10.7M | 2.3% | $336K |
| UM1 | 3 | $10.7M | 2.3% | $3.6M |
| UG1 | 11 | $10.4M | 2.3% | $945K |
| U24 | 7 | $9.8M | 2.1% | $1.4M |
| R21 | 34 | $9.2M | 2.0% | $270K |
| R37 | 12 | $7.4M | 1.6% | $619K |
Largest FY2026 awards
The biggest single award records by FY2026 dollars. Each links to its NIH RePORTER project page.
- NUCATS CTSA UM1 at Northwestern University (opens NIH RePORTER)
5UM1TR005121-03 · NCATS
$7.9MUM1
- The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center (opens NIH RePORTER)
5P30CA060553-32 · NCI
$6.4MP30
- The Mobile Toolbox for Monitoring Cognitive and Behavioral Function (MTB2) (opens NIH RePORTER)
5U2CAG060426-08 · NIA
$4.8MU2C
- NORTHWESTERN Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (opens NIH RePORTER)
2P30AG072977-06 · NIA
$4.6MP30
- Investigations of the protein aggregation inhibitor NU-9 and its derivatives: mode of action and impact on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (opens NIH RePORTER)
4R01AG061708-08 · NIA
$4.3MR01
- Consequences of Incarceration on Health, Age-Related Conditions, and Risk Factors for ADRD (opens NIH RePORTER)
5R01AG089544-03 · NIA
$4.0MR01
Recently started projects
The latest new (Type 1) FY2026 awards by notice date, out of 157 new projects NIH funded here this year.
- Consortium for Hereditary Epidermal Differentiation Disorders (CHEDD) (opens NIH RePORTER)
1U54AR089183-01 · NIAMS · Notice Sep 19, 2026
$1.6MU54
- Intermittent Hypoxemia in Early Life among Preterms (I-HELP) Sleep (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R01HL186511-01 · NHLBI · Notice Sep 17, 2026
$2.3MR01
- Interorgan Genomic Atlas for Discovery of Bioenergetic Dynamics and Mechanisms of Time-Restricted Feeding (opens NIH RePORTER)
1RC2DK144820-01A1 · NIDDK · Notice Sep 17, 2026
$1.6MRC2
- Clinical-Molecular Endotypes of Primary Graft Dysfunction in Lung Transplant Patients (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R01HL187520-01 · NHLBI · Notice Sep 17, 2026
$1.3MR01
- Defining how mitochondrial metabolites reprogram cellular metabolism to control tumor growth (opens NIH RePORTER)
1K99CA316633-01 · NCI · Notice Sep 17, 2026
$99KK99
- Precision Blood Pressure Goals in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: A HeartShare Ancillary Study (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R01HL183589-01 · NHLBI · Notice Sep 14, 2026
$719KR01
Other NIH-funded institutions in Illinois
| # | Institution | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL | $459.4M |
| 2 | University of ChicagoChicago, IL | $285.2M |
| 3 | University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL | $169.5M |
| 4 | National Opinion Research CenterChicago, IL | $84.4M |
| 5 | University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL | $81.5M |
| 6 | Rush University Medical CenterChicago, IL | $55.9M |
| 7 | Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoChicago, IL | $37.0M |
| 8 | Loyola University ChicagoMaywood, IL | $20.0M |
| 9 | Alliance NCTN FoundationChicago, IL | $18.2M |
Nearby in the national ranking
| # | Institution | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY | $512.9M |
| 16 | University of California San DiegoLa Jolla, CA | $505.9M |
| 17 | University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | $462.9M |
| 18 | Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL | $459.4M |
| 19 | NYU Grossman School of MedicineNew York, NY | $455.2M |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | $447.9M |
| 21 | University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN | $391.8M |
Similar universities and medical schools
| # | Institution | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY | $512.9M |
| 16 | University of California San DiegoLa Jolla, CA | $505.9M |
| 17 | University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | $462.9M |
| 18 | Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL | $459.4M |
| 19 | NYU Grossman School of MedicineNew York, NY | $455.2M |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | $447.9M |
| 21 | University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN | $391.8M |
About these numbers
Source: the public NIH RePORTER API, refreshed October 16, 2026. See our data methodology and the guide to reading NIH funding rankings by university.
- Who is countedAwards made to NIH recipient organization code 6144650. A university's medical school, affiliated hospital, or other campuses can be separate NIH recipients with their own totals.
- What is countedTotal award amount (direct plus indirect) obligated in each fiscal year for grants, cooperative agreements, training awards, SBIR/STTR, and R&D contracts. Subprojects, intramural research, and interagency agreements are excluded.
- InstitutesEach award is credited in full to its administering institute, even when other institutes co-fund it.
- SubawardsNIH reports the prime recipient only, so research this institution performs under another organization's grant is not included here.