NIH funding is off to a very slow start

This is not about my usual kvetching about the way that NIAAA and NIDA never ever, nuh uh, no way ever fund new Cycle I R01 awards on time (Dec 1, first possible start date) under a Continuing Resolution. This is about all of the ICs.

There are currently only two new (Type 1) R01 listed on RePORTER, both of which are funded by NIA.

This contrasts with 379 Type 1 R01 issued before 12/22/2024 for the FY2025 award cycle. As well as with the 344 Type 1 R01 issued before 12/22/2023 for the FY2024 award cycle.

Jeremy Berg pointed out on BlueSky that NIH is likewise off the pace for all award types, including non-competing.

Broadening the FY2026 search a little bit, I note that NIH has funded a total of four Type 1 (new) projects across all mechanisms so far. This includes an R21 from NIA and a K99 from NIDCD in addition to the above mentioned NIA R01. There are no FY2026 Type 2 / competing continuation awards of any mechanism.

Thought of the day

Papers do not equal grant funding.

You do not “earn” NIH funding by being good at the game of publishing papers in fancy journals.

If you think it will get super easy to get a NIH grant once you publish x number of papers in y JIF journals, you are not optimizing your chances of funding.

If you think those guys over there have the secret to easy NIH funding and if you can just become one of them it will all be gravy, you are not optimizing your chances of funding.

I am sorry if this is news to you but grant award isn’t fair or just or directly aligned with measures of science quality in the way you imagined it should be.