NIH funding in North Dakota
Updated October 13, 2026 · Refreshed when USAspending posts new fiscal-year data · Published by Grantsights
NIH obligated $21.2 million in grants to organizations in North Dakota in fiscal year 2026, 48th among the 50 states and DC. That's $27 per resident, the 44th-highest per person.
- FY2026: $21.2 million, down 24% from $27.8 million in FY2025.
- Since FY2020: down 14% ($24.7 million then).
- Largest recipient: University of North Dakota, $9.6 million (45% of the state total).
North Dakota NIH grant obligations by fiscal year: $21.2 million in FY2026
| Fiscal year | NIH grant obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $21,202,043 |
| FY2025 | $27,834,897 |
| FY2024 | $25,950,250 |
| FY2023 | $25,827,535 |
| FY2022 | $26,576,749 |
| FY2021 | $29,681,960 |
| FY2020 | $24,682,540 |
Source: USAspending.gov, NIH grant obligations by recipient location, pulled October 13, 2026.
Who received the most NIH grant money in North Dakota in FY2026: University of North Dakota
| Recipient | FY2026 obligations |
|---|---|
| University of North Dakota | $9.6 million |
| Sanford Research | $8.0 million |
| North Dakota State University | $2.6 million |
| Sanford Research North | $1.1 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 North Dakota," updated October 13, 2026, https://grantsights.com/research/nih-funding-by-state/north-dakota. Data: USAspending.gov.
Who won specific NIH awards: R01, K99/R00, R15 and F31 award histories.