NIH funding in Wisconsin
Updated October 13, 2026 · Refreshed when USAspending posts new fiscal-year data · Published by Grantsights
NIH obligated $631.3 million in grants to organizations in Wisconsin in fiscal year 2026, 18th among the 50 states and DC. That's $107 per resident, the 13th-highest per person.
- FY2026: $631.3 million, up 12% from $562.9 million in FY2025.
- Since FY2020: up 23% ($514.3 million then).
- Largest recipient: University of Wisconsin System, $441.8 million (70% of the state total).
Wisconsin NIH grant obligations by fiscal year: $631.3 million in FY2026
| Fiscal year | NIH grant obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $631,293,267 |
| FY2025 | $562,939,589 |
| FY2024 | $570,118,380 |
| FY2023 | $621,456,807 |
| FY2022 | $532,065,021 |
| FY2021 | $531,313,270 |
| FY2020 | $514,257,213 |
Source: USAspending.gov, NIH grant obligations by recipient location, pulled October 13, 2026.
Who received the most NIH grant money in Wisconsin in FY2026: University of Wisconsin System
| Recipient | FY2026 obligations |
|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin System | $441.8 million |
| The Medical College of Wisconsin, Inc. | $130.9 million |
| Versiti Blood Health, Inc. | $12.4 million |
| Marquette University | $8.2 million |
| University of Wisconsin System | $5.9 million |
| The Morgridge Institute for Research, Inc. | $4.7 million |
| Aurora Health Care, Inc. | $3.6 million |
| St. Vincent Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis | $2.8 million |
| Salus Discovery Llc | $1.9 million |
| Scarab Genomics Llc | $1.8 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 Wisconsin," updated October 13, 2026, https://grantsights.com/research/nih-funding-by-state/wisconsin. Data: USAspending.gov.
Who won specific NIH awards: R01, K99/R00, R15 and F31 award histories.