GLP-1 and metabolic disease — NIH Funding Overview

Why this matters now

The clinical and commercial success of GLP-1 agonists has reshaped diabetes and obesity research priorities. NIH portfolios now emphasize understanding why some patients respond and others do not, neuropsychiatric effects, long-term safety, and applications beyond metabolism — including addiction, neurodegeneration, and inflammation.

How NIH funds this area

NIDDK is the dominant funder; NHLBI funds cardiovascular outcomes; NIA funds aging-related applications; NIDA funds substance-use applications. The data below covers all NIH awards mentioning GLP-1 in any field.

What the data shows

• Funding peaked in FY2025 at $161M. The FY2025 total of $161M is +74% versus FY2021.
• The number of awards rose about 29% in FY2025.
• About 66% of FY2026 dollars so far are non-Type-1 award actions, including competing renewals, supplements, non-competing continuations, and institutional changes. This is a descriptive record mix, not a measure of renewal activity alone.
• The average FY2025 award was $566K, and R01 was the most common mechanism in the recent window.

Yearly NIH Awards for GLP-1 and metabolic disease

Counts and total funding per fiscal year from NIH RePORTER. Recent fiscal years may understate final totals because of reporting lag.

Open the full interactive trends view for GLP-1 and metabolic disease →

Top NIH Institutes (last 90 days)

Which NIH institutes funded the most GLP-1 projects in the most recent 90-day window.

Common Activity Codes (last 90 days)

Which grant mechanisms (R01, R21, U01, P30, etc.) appeared most often for GLP-1 in the recent period.

Most Active Institutions (last 90 days)

Universities and research organizations with the most GLP-1 awards in the most recent 90-day window.

1. DUKE UNIVERSITY — 5 awards
2. BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER — 4 awards
3. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON — 4 awards
4. MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER — 4 awards
5. MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL — 4 awards
6. UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER — 4 awards
7. TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA — 4 awards
8. NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE — 4 awards

Recently Awarded GLP-1 and metabolic disease Grants

Twelve most recent awards mentioning GLP-1, drawn from NIH RePORTER. Click through to Find PIs for the full investigator search.

• High-dimensional chemical targeting of multiple neuron types to regulate energy balance

  5DP1DK139958-03
  Mark Andermann · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER, MA · $800,000 · awarded Aug 27, 2026 · DP1

  Summary Recent drugs for treating obesity and diabetes, while promising, have major side effects. For example, drugs that reduce food intake by targeting the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) or the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) induce side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Several drugs targeting these receptors likely act in part via effects on…

• Role of intestinal microbiome and gut permeability in the development of Kawasaki Disease vasculitis

  5R01HL139766-07
  Magali Noval Rivas · CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER, CA · $605,375 · awarded Aug 26, 2026 · R01

  PROJECT ABSTRACT The intestinal microbiota influences many biological processes, including gastrointestinal and systemic immune responses. Alterations in its composition have been associated with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular (CV) diseases, including Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute pediatric vasculitis, and the leading cause of acquired heart disease…

• Interaction between high-risk atherosclerotic plaque, reduced brain perfusion, and cognitive decline

  1R01NS144133-01A1
  Niranjan Balu · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, WA · $647,418 · awarded Aug 26, 2026 · R01

  Atherosclerosis is not only a leading cause of stroke but an important cause of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). VCID due to carotid or intracranial atherosclerosis is a potentially treatable cause of dementia. While symptomatic patients with high-grade stenosis are eligible for surgical treatment of their atherosclerotic lesions,…

• Neuroendocrine Tumor Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Human Cancer

  5P50CA302572-02
  DAWN QUELLE · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, IA · $2,146,411 · awarded Aug 25, 2026 · P50

  Overall – Summary Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are orphan cancers whose incidence and prevalence are increasing in the US. NETs are slow-growing, yet relentlessly progressive and are notoriously resistant to chemotherapy. The University of Iowa is one of only a handful of institutions where patients with NETs and NECs…

• DREAM: Building Equitable Predictive Models for Personalized Diabetes Pharmacotherapy

  5K01DK142045-02
  Polina Kukhareva · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, UT · $160,164 · awarded Aug 24, 2026 · K01

  Although the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines help clinicians choose medications for type 2 diabetes based on comorbidities, they primarily offer broad class-based recommendations. However, more granular decisions are needed to account for intra-class drug differences, considering factors like HbA1c reduction, weight impact, hypoglycemia risk,…

• Role of semaglutide in restoring ovulation in youth and adults with polycystic ovary syndrome

  5R01HD108340-04
  Melanie Cree · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER, CO · $517,990 · awarded Aug 20, 2026 · R01

  Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the most common endocrinopathies in women, presents with anovulation in adolescence and reproductive dysfunction is worsened by excess weight. Females with PCOS also have lowered insulin sensitivity (IS), which integrates obesity and reproductive abnormalities. Obesity as well as excess testosterone and insulin are…

• Partitioned polygenic risk scoring and machine learning-derived imaging phenotypes for discovery of novel mechanisms of cardiometabolic disease in people of South Asian ancestry

  1K08HL183778-01A1
  Romit Bhattacharya · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, MA · $169,348 · awarded Aug 19, 2026 · K08

  Project Summary / Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasingly understood to be driven by metabolic dysfunction, as exemplified by the global epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the risk conferred for myocardial infarction and heart failure. Individuals of South Asian ancestry face disproportionately high risks of myocardial…

• Leadership Training in Real-World Data Analytics: Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease

  5K02AG095384-02
  Christopher Kaufmann · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, FL · $149,148 · awarded Aug 19, 2026 · K02

  ABSTRACT In the past decade, there has been an explosion in availability of real-world data (RWD). With RWD’s vast potential, there is a need for scientists with the training to lead multidisciplinary teams to generate insights from such data and translate them into population health improvements. In August 2022, I was awarded my first R01, which seeks to…

• PROBE: Probiotic Regulation Of Gut-Microbiome-Brain Interactions in Obesity and Eating Behaviors

  1R01AT013744-01
  ARPANA CHURCH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES, CA · $697,641 · awarded Aug 18, 2026 · R01

  PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT One specific area that has garnered attention is the microbiome-gut-brain (MGB) axis - a bidirectional signaling system between the gut and the brain. While targeting the microbiome in obesity has demonstrated some efficacy in improving insulin sensitivity and adiposity, the involvement of “gut-brain interactions” in these processes…

• Islet Function in Gestational Diabetes

  1R01DK148528-01
  Aoife Egan · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER, MN · $569,882 · awarded Aug 18, 2026 · R01

  PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overall aim of this application is to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). GDM affects 8% pregnancies in the United States annually and increases the risk of multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes including cesaresan delivery, large for gestational age infants, and neonatal…

• MIRACLE-T2D Montelukast Intervention for Renal, Cardiovascular and Eye Health in Type 2 Diabetes

  1R01DK145012-01A1
  Jessica Kendrick · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER, CO · $737,870 · awarded Aug 18, 2026 · R01

  PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Diabetes is accompanied by significant morbidity and mortality due to microvascular and macrovascular complications. Progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) to end stage kidney disease impairs patients’ quality of life and results in high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature deaths. Diabetic retinopathy, which…

• Networked trial emulation framework for causal effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists on Mental Health Outcomes

  1R01MH142790-01
  Yong Chen · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, PA · $852,247 · awarded Aug 17, 2026 · R01

  Summary This proposal seeks to develop a networked trial emulation framework to enhance real-world evidence (RWE) generation on the causal effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) on mental health outcomes. While GLP-1 RAs have shown benefits for type 2 diabetes and obesity, their potential impact on neuropsychiatric health remains…

Related topics

• Diabetes research
• Obesity research