NIH funding in Rhode Island
Updated October 13, 2026 · Refreshed when USAspending posts new fiscal-year data · Published by Grantsights
NIH obligated $245.1 million in grants to organizations in Rhode Island in fiscal year 2026, 27th among the 50 states and DC. That's $223 per resident, the 3rd-highest per person.
- FY2026: $245.1 million, up 4% from $234.6 million in FY2025.
- Since FY2020: up 8% ($226.3 million then).
- Largest recipient: Brown University, $127.1 million (52% of the state total).
Rhode Island NIH grant obligations by fiscal year: $245.1 million in FY2026
| Fiscal year | NIH grant obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $245,083,126 |
| FY2025 | $234,584,695 |
| FY2024 | $234,942,003 |
| FY2023 | $252,726,313 |
| FY2022 | $237,564,215 |
| FY2021 | $240,106,136 |
| FY2020 | $226,250,004 |
Source: USAspending.gov, NIH grant obligations by recipient location, pulled October 13, 2026.
Who received the most NIH grant money in Rhode Island in FY2026: Brown University
| Recipient | FY2026 obligations |
|---|---|
| Brown University | $127.1 million |
| Rhode Island Hospital | $44.0 million |
| University of Rhode Island | $28.9 million |
| The Miriam Hospital | $15.9 million |
| Butler Hospital | $7.7 million |
| Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island | $7.4 million |
| Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital | $6.5 million |
| Ocean State Research Institute Inc | $2.3 million |
| Gordon Research Conferences | $1.4 million |
| Prothera Biologics, Inc. | $954,189 |
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 Rhode Island," updated October 13, 2026, https://grantsights.com/research/nih-funding-by-state/rhode-island. Data: USAspending.gov.
Who won specific NIH awards: R01, K99/R00, R15 and F31 award histories.