NIH funding in Colorado
Updated October 13, 2026 · Refreshed when USAspending posts new fiscal-year data · Published by Grantsights
NIH obligated $545.9 million in grants to organizations in Colorado in fiscal year 2026, 19th among the 50 states and DC. That's $95 per resident, the 18th-highest per person.
- FY2026: $545.9 million, up 2% from $537.5 million in FY2025.
- Since FY2020: up 16% ($470.6 million then).
- Largest recipient: The Regents of the University of Colorado, $358.5 million (66% of the state total).
Colorado NIH grant obligations by fiscal year: $545.9 million in FY2026
| Fiscal year | NIH grant obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $545,851,438 |
| FY2025 | $537,536,670 |
| FY2024 | $524,642,579 |
| FY2023 | $508,020,562 |
| FY2022 | $493,051,283 |
| FY2021 | $498,681,885 |
| FY2020 | $470,563,336 |
Source: USAspending.gov, NIH grant obligations by recipient location, pulled October 13, 2026.
Who received the most NIH grant money in Colorado in FY2026: The Regents of the University of Colorado
| Recipient | FY2026 obligations |
|---|---|
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | $358.5 million |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | $65.2 million |
| Colorado State University | $58.0 million |
| National Jewish Health | $26.3 million |
| University of Denver | $9.0 million |
| Allander Biotechnologies, Inc. | $2.3 million |
| Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines | $1.7 million |
| Modendo Inc | $1.5 million |
| Klein Buendel, Inc. | $1.3 million |
| Quspin Inc. | $1.3 million |
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 Colorado," updated October 13, 2026, https://grantsights.com/research/nih-funding-by-state/colorado. Data: USAspending.gov.
Who won specific NIH awards: R01, K99/R00, R15 and F31 award histories.