NIH funding in Alabama
Updated October 13, 2026 · Refreshed when USAspending posts new fiscal-year data · Published by Grantsights
NIH obligated $342.1 million in grants to organizations in Alabama in fiscal year 2026, 25th among the 50 states and DC. That's $68 per resident, the 27th-highest per person.
- FY2026: $342.1 million, up 2% from $334.8 million in FY2025.
- Since FY2020: down 5% ($360.3 million then).
- Largest recipient: University of Alabama at Birmingham, $298.8 million (87% of the state total).
Alabama NIH grant obligations by fiscal year: $342.1 million in FY2026
| Fiscal year | NIH grant obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $342,072,592 |
| FY2025 | $334,766,300 |
| FY2024 | $367,156,407 |
| FY2023 | $373,503,661 |
| FY2022 | $345,967,599 |
| FY2021 | $349,502,399 |
| FY2020 | $360,323,758 |
Source: USAspending.gov, NIH grant obligations by recipient location, pulled October 13, 2026.
Who received the most NIH grant money in Alabama in FY2026: University of Alabama at Birmingham
| Recipient | FY2026 obligations |
|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | $298.8 million |
| University of South Alabama | $8.3 million |
| Auburn University | $7.7 million |
| Southern Research Institute | $6.8 million |
| Tuskegee University | $6.5 million |
| University of Alabama | $6.0 million |
| Hudsonalpha Institute for Biotechnology | $2.0 million |
| Cfd Research Corporation | $1.7 million |
| Biometric Positioning Systems Llc | $1.0 million |
| The University of Alabama in Huntsville | $747,390 |
Recipient names as USAspending lists them. Hospitals and universities often receive grants under a legal name that differs from the name people use.
How it's counted
- NIH grant obligations (project grants, cooperative agreements and other assistance awards) in USAspending, by the state of the recipient's address.
- Obligations are net: money taken back from ended or cut grants is subtracted in the year it happens.
- Per-resident figures use the Census 2020 population USAspending reports.
- Computed by a Grantsights script from the public USAspending API. See data sources.
What this doesn't show
- Money spent. Obligations are commitments; spending can lag by years.
- Where the work happens. Subawards to other states count where the prime recipient is.
- NIH's own totals, which count awards differently, or NIH contracts and intramural research.
- Success rates. For those, see NIH R01 success rates.
Compare every state on NIH funding by state, or download the CSV. Cite as: Grantsights, "NIH funding in Alabama," updated October 13, 2026, https://grantsights.com/research/nih-funding-by-state/alabama. Data: USAspending.gov.
Who won specific NIH awards: R01, K99/R00, R15 and F31 award histories.