NIH funding in Kentucky
Updated October 13, 2026 · Refreshed when USAspending posts new fiscal-year data · Published by Grantsights
NIH obligated $207.9 million in grants to organizations in Kentucky in fiscal year 2026, 29th among the 50 states and DC. That's $46 per resident, the 35th-highest per person.
- FY2026: $207.9 million, down 6% from $220.4 million in FY2025.
- Since FY2020: down 13% ($237.8 million then).
- Largest recipient: University of Kentucky Research Foundation, the, $127.3 million (61% of the state total).
Kentucky NIH grant obligations by fiscal year: $207.9 million in FY2026
| Fiscal year | NIH grant obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $207,868,690 |
| FY2025 | $220,409,231 |
| FY2024 | $223,387,487 |
| FY2023 | $223,763,122 |
| FY2022 | $233,461,019 |
| FY2021 | $253,906,934 |
| FY2020 | $237,751,236 |
Source: USAspending.gov, NIH grant obligations by recipient location, pulled October 13, 2026.
Who received the most NIH grant money in Kentucky in FY2026: University of Kentucky Research Foundation, the
| Recipient | FY2026 obligations |
|---|---|
| University of Kentucky Research Foundation, the | $127.3 million |
| University of Louisville | $74.4 million |
| Xleratehealth, Llc | $1.3 million |
| Aquilo Sports L.l.c | $1.1 million |
| Ralphvr Inc. | $1.1 million |
| Wicked Sheets, Llc | $1.0 million |
| Pgxl Technologies Llc | $957,571 |
| Northern Kentucky University | $662,000 |
| Lagrange Scientific Llc | $582,245 |
| Paratechs Corp | $535,088 |
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 Kentucky," updated October 13, 2026, https://grantsights.com/research/nih-funding-by-state/kentucky. Data: USAspending.gov.
Who won specific NIH awards: R01, K99/R00, R15 and F31 award histories.