NIH funding profile · Knoxville, TN · Higher education
University of Tennessee, Knoxville NIH Funding
NIH RePORTER recipient name: University of Tennessee Knoxville
Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed October 16, 2026Data refreshed October 16, 2026Editorial standards
University of Tennessee, Knoxville received $10.2M in NIH award funding in fiscal year 2026 across 31 award records and 29 principal investigators. That ranks #303 of 2,407 NIH-funded institutions and #6 in Tennessee, down 17.0% 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
$10.2M
−17.0% vs FY2025
National rank
#303
Down 20 places from #283 vs FY2025
Rank in Tennessee
#6
1.4% of Tennessee NIH funding
Awards · PIs
31
29 investigators · 12 new projects
NIH funding trend, FY2022–FY2026
University of Tennessee, Knoxville received $54.4M in NIH awards over these five fiscal years. Annual funding moved −3.0% from FY2022 to FY2026. Its best national rank in the period was #283 (FY2025).
| Year | Funding | Change | Awards | PIs | U.S. rank | TN rank | Top IC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $10.2M | −17.0% | 31 | 29 | #303 | #6 | NIGMS |
| FY2025 | $12.3M | +20.1% | 31 | 35 | #283 | #6 | NIGMS |
| FY2024 | $10.2M | −9.4% | 33 | 32 | #317 | #6 | NIGMS |
| FY2023 | $11.3M | +7.4% | 34 | 34 | #301 | #6 | NIGMS |
| FY2022 | $10.5M | — | 30 | 32 | #322 | #6 | NIGMS |
NIH institutes funding University of Tennessee, Knoxville, FY2026
9 NIH institutes and centers administered awards here in FY2026. The largest, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), accounted for 39.1% of the institution's NIH funding across 12 awards.
- NIGMS · National Institute of General Medical Sciences$4.0M · 39.1%
12 awards · vs FY2025: −45.3%
- NIAID · National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases$2.1M · 20.2%
7 awards · vs FY2025: +304.0%
- NIDDK · National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases$1.2M · 12.3%
2 awards · vs FY2025: −25.9%
- NIDCD · National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders$888K · 8.7%
3 awards · vs FY2025: +154.5%
- NHLBI · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute$677K · 6.7%
3 awards · vs FY2025: +48.6%
- NCI · National Cancer Institute$475K · 4.7%
1 award · vs FY2025: —
- NINR · National Institute of Nursing Research$306K · 3.0%
1 award · vs FY2025: −66.4%
- NIBIB · National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering$300K · 2.9%
1 award · vs FY2025: −47.9%
- NICHD · Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development$248K · 2.4%
1 award · vs FY2025: +31.4%
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 44.5% of funding.
- Other research (R)53.8% · FY22 37.6%
- R01-equivalent44.5% · FY22 58.5%
- Career development (K)1.6% · FY22 0.0%
- Institutional training (T)0.0% · FY22 3.0%
- Fellowships (F)0.0% · FY22 0.9%
Top activity codes, FY2026
Largest FY2026 awards
The biggest single award records by FY2026 dollars. Each links to its NIH RePORTER project page.
- Strategies to promote HIV-to-HIV kidney transplantation through organ donation (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R56DK149809-01 · NIDDK
$639KR56
- Effect of time-based energy intake goals on weight loss during obesity treatment. (opens NIH RePORTER)
5R01DK137752-03 · NIDDK
$608KR01
- Longitudinal Pathways of Sign Language Development: Tracking Growth and Intervention Outcomes in Deaf Children (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R01DC024167-01 · NIDCD
$539KR01
- Conquering Pain Together: Family-Based Pain Intervention for Appalachian Breast Cancer Patients Taking AETs (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R21CA309056-01A1 · NCI
$475KR21
- Programmed DNA Elimination in Parasitic Nematodes (opens NIH RePORTER)
2R01AI155588-06A1 · NIAID
$458KR01
- Glycocalyx Remodeling as a Molecular Switch for Viral Entry (opens NIH RePORTER)
1DP2AI200969-01 · NIAID
$430KDP2
Recently started projects
The latest new (Type 1) FY2026 awards by notice date, out of 12 new projects NIH funded here this year.
- SCH: BRIDGEX: Bridging the Gaps in Robotic Surgery Knowledge Sharing Through Explainable Augmentation and Learning (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R01EB041354-01 · NIBIB · Notice Sep 10, 2026
$300KR01
- Mindful Movement: Development of A Novel Guided Imagery App to Promote Physical Activity in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R03HL187201-01 · NHLBI · Notice Sep 1, 2026
$217KR03
- A Genome-Wide CRISPR Screening Platform in Diploid Candida Albicans to Uncover Mechanisms of Antifungal Resistance (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R21AI199008-01 · NIAID · Notice Aug 19, 2026
$230KR21
- Systemic and Phagosomal Heat as Overlooked Regulators of Neutrophil Immunity (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R21AI196150-01A1 · NIAID · Notice Jul 21, 2026
$236KR21
- Development of Adipose Derived Stems Cells System for HCMV latency (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R03AI199793-01 · NIAID · Notice Jun 25, 2026
$149KR03
- Developing Cross Protective Vaccine to Control Leptospira Infection (opens NIH RePORTER)
1R21AI199507-01 · NIAID · Notice Jun 3, 2026
$200KR21
Other NIH-funded institutions in Tennessee
| # | Institution | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, TN | $378.8M |
| 2 | Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN | $123.0M |
| 3 | St. Jude Children's Research HospitalMemphis, TN | $118.5M |
| 4 | University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphis, TN | $38.6M |
| 5 | Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, TN | $14.8M |
| 6 | University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN | $10.2M |
Nearby in the national ranking
| # | Institution | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 300 | Avera McKennanSioux Falls, SD | $10.3M |
| 301 | North Carolina A&T State UniversityGreensboro, NC | $10.3M |
| 302 | University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND | $10.3M |
| 303 | University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN | $10.2M |
| 304 | Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ | $10.0M |
| 305 | University of Maryland Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD | $10.0M |
| 306 | Hennepin Healthcare Research InstituteMinneapolis, MN | $9.7M |
Similar universities and medical schools
| # | Institution | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 294 | Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY | $10.8M |
| 295 | Baylor UniversityWaco, TX | $10.8M |
| 296 | Howard UniversityWashington, DC | $10.7M |
| 299 | University of IdahoMoscow, ID | $10.4M |
| 301 | North Carolina A&T State UniversityGreensboro, NC | $10.3M |
| 302 | University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND | $10.3M |
| 303 | University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN | $10.2M |
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 578304 (University of Tennessee Knoxville). 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.