NIH spent its full fiscal 2026 grant budget as awards involving health disparities, race and ethnicity fell

STAT’s analysis found that NIH spent its full external grants budget in fiscal 2026 while continuing to reduce awards involving health disparities, race and ethnicity. It funded about 58,000 projects, down from 61,000 in fiscal 2025, though reporting lags could raise the 2026 count. STAT found little progress toward distributing funds more evenly across the country or expanding support for early-career scientists. Researchers told STAT that review delays slowed their work.