As of March 31, the National Institutes of Health has awarded 1,385 competitive grants in fiscal 2026, down 54% from 3,024 grants awarded during the same period in fiscal 2025, The Washington Post reported April 19.
The drop in awards reflects a convergence of policy changes and operational disruptions at the NIH. The agency has begun restructuring how it distributes grant funding, reducing the number of new grants issued short-term and making less predictable funding decisions overall.
Delays tied to administrative slowdowns, including canceled advisory council meetings and a backlog of applications, have further constrained the pipeline. The administration has also pulled or withheld grant funding from several universities in a push to realign NIH’s research portfolio with administration priorities.
The Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 budget requests $41 million in funding for NIH research, a roughly $5 billion cut over 2026 funding. The proposal also calls for the elimination of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Fogarty International Center and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
The proposed cut is significantly smaller than the $18 billion cut the administration sought in its 2026 budget which was rejected by Congress.
The Post analyzed NIH data to see how federal funding changes under the Trump administration have changed scientific research in the U.S.
Here are four notes from the report:
- The number of competitive awards granted by the NIH through March 31 of each fiscal year has dropped significantly. Between 2015 and 2018, the annual number of NIH grants hovered around 4,600.
Since 2019, when NIH distributed 5,466 competitive grants, the annual number has decreased:
- 2020: 5,216
- 2021: 5,147
- 2022: 4,943
- 2023: 4,798
- 2024: 4,395
- 2025: 3,024
- 2026: 1,385
- The number of competitive awards given to NIH institutes declined between 2024 and 2025:
| Institute | 2024 | 2025 | Percent change |
| National Institute of Mental Health | 965 | 546 | -0.43 |
| National Institute on Drug Abuse | 677 | 559 | -0.17 |
| National Institute on Aging | 1,503 | 1,247 | -0.17 |
| National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease | 1,113 | 940 | -0.16 |
| National Cancer Institute | 2,326 | 1,971 | -0.15 |
| National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases | 2,146 | 1,924 | -0.10 |
| National Institute of Child Health and Human Development | 865 | 779 | -0.10 |
| National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute | 1,717 | 1,547 | -0.10 |
| National Institute of General Medical Sciences | 1,668 | 1,640 | -0.02 |
- The number of competitive grants awarded that mention women dropped between 2024 and 2025:
- 2015: 1,384
- 2016: 1,501
- 2017: 1,527
- 2018: 1,525
- 2019: 1,810
- 2020: 1,813
- 2021: 1,758
- 2022: 1,925
- 2023: 1,936
- 2024: 1,862
- 2025: 1,288
- There were about 15,000 job cuts of STEM and health employees at science-focused agencies between January 2025 and February 2026. The job cut rate at those agencies outpaced the -12% average job cut rate within the federal government during that time period overall.
The change in STEM and health occupations between January 2025 and February 2026 for government agencies was:
- National Science Foundation: -42%
- CDC: -24%
- Environmental Protection Agency: -24%
- Energy Department: -22%
- NASA: -20
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: -17%
- NIH: -17%
- FDA: -14%
- National Institute of Standards and Technology: -14%
Read the full report from the Post here.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.