NIH funding in Iowa
Updated October 13, 2026 · Refreshed when USAspending posts new fiscal-year data · Published by Grantsights
NIH obligated $193.1 million in grants to organizations in Iowa in fiscal year 2026, 30th among the 50 states and DC. That's $61 per resident, the 29th-highest per person.
- FY2026: $193.1 million, up 6% from $182.2 million in FY2025.
- Since FY2020: down 11% ($216.0 million then).
- Largest recipient: The University of Iowa, $167.9 million (87% of the state total).
Iowa NIH grant obligations by fiscal year: $193.1 million in FY2026
| Fiscal year | NIH grant obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $193,130,293 |
| FY2025 | $182,172,133 |
| FY2024 | $203,297,076 |
| FY2023 | $200,463,158 |
| FY2022 | $200,205,752 |
| FY2021 | $205,900,427 |
| FY2020 | $215,955,977 |
Source: USAspending.gov, NIH grant obligations by recipient location, pulled October 13, 2026.
Who received the most NIH grant money in Iowa in FY2026: The University of Iowa
| Recipient | FY2026 obligations |
|---|---|
| The University of Iowa | $167.9 million |
| Iowa State University of Science and Technology | $18.2 million |
| Iowa Oncology Research Association | $1.4 million |
| Pranions, Inc. | $1.3 million |
| Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, Inc. | $992,410 |
| Zwicoat Materials Innovations, Llc | $907,712 |
| Palmer College Foundation | $763,975 |
| Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center | $536,335 |
| S5g Therapeutics Inc | $313,373 |
| Bd Holding, Inc. | $310,235 |
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 Iowa," updated October 13, 2026, https://grantsights.com/research/nih-funding-by-state/iowa. Data: USAspending.gov.
Who won specific NIH awards: R01, K99/R00, R15 and F31 award histories.