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NIH-Funded Research Workforce
The NIH Data Book provides interactive chart visualizations and underlying data tables on extramural grants and contract awards, grant applications, NIH-supported organizations, trainees and fellows, and the biomedical workforce.
The data snapshots below depict NIH statistics on the demographics of research grant principal investigators.
Figure 1: Trends in Race/Ethnicity of NIH Supported Ph.D. Recipients
Figure 1: Bar graph showing trends in race/ethnicity of NIH-supported Ph.D. recipients. From 1996 to 2020, the vast majority of recipients were white, followed by Asian, followed by Hispanic, followed by other (including multi-racial) and African American.
NIH support includes funding from any of the following Kirschstein-NRSA or NLM awards at any point prior to the Ph.D.: T15, T32, T35, T90, TL1, TU2, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F35 and F99 (US citizen or Permanent Resident only). Those individuals whose only prior NIH support was from T35 appointment are excluded.
* From 1982-2000, the racial categories used in the Survey of Earned Doctorates included “Asian and Pacific Islander.” In 2001, the survey was revised and “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander” became separate categories. For the purposes of reporting, Native Hawaiians are included in the “Other” category.
Trainees are appointed for at least 100 days.
D = Suppressed subgroups with equal to or fewer than 11 recipients in order to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
Sources: NIH Trainee and Fellow File, IMPAC II, and the Doctorate Records File.
Source: Data drawn from NIH Trainee and Fellow File, IMPAC II Current Files and the Doctorate Records File as 4/14/2022 and subject to change.
Last Updated: June 2022
Link Out: https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/report/270
Figure 2: Number of NIH Principal Investigators Funded by Grant Mechanism and Race
Figure 2: Bar graph showing number of NIH principal investigators funded by grant mechanism and race in 2021. Data shows vast majority of NIH principal investigators are white, followed by Asian, then Black or African-American & more than one race. This applies across research grants, fellowships, and training grants.
Includes investigators receiving both competing and non-competing awards.
Analysis includes Contact Principal Investigators (PIs) and Multiple Principal Investigators (MPIs)
*Excludes awards issued using supplemental Coronavirus (COVID-19) appropriations.
Special supplemental Coronavirus (COVID-19) appropriations may include:
H.R.6074 (PL 116-123) - Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020.
H.R.748 (PL 116-136) - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Research Grants are defined as extramural awards made for Research Centers, Research Projects, Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Grants, and Other Research Grants. Research Grants are defined by the following activity codes: R, P, M, S, K, U (excluding UC6), DP1, DP2, DP3, DP4, DP5, D42, & G12.
Kirschstein-NRSA and Non-NRSA Fellowships include activity codes F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F35, F36, F37, F38, F39 and F99. Not all of these activities may be in use by NIH every year.
D = Subgroups with less than 12 recipients are suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
The NIH has adopted the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised minimum standards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting data on race and ethnicity for all grant applications, contract and intramural proposals and for all active research grants, cooperative agreements, contract and intramural projects. The minimum standards are described in the 1997 OMB Directive 15, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/fedreg_1997standards. The 1997 OMB revised minimum standards include two ethnic categories (Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino) and five racial categories (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White). ‘Person Reporting More than one race’ under race indicates investigator who indicated more than one race. Investigators who do not disclose their race are excluded from this report.
An investigator is counted only once within each fiscal year, demographic category, and grant mechanism. For All Mechanisms, an investigator is counted only once within each fiscal year and demographic category for all mechanisms combined. Therefore, the sum of the individual mechanisms may be more than All Mechanisms, as an investigator may have received awards for more than one grant mechanism but is counted only once for that fiscal year and demographic category. Similarly, for 2016-2020, an investigator is counted only once within each mechanism and demographic category for all years combined. Therefore, the sum of the individual demographic categories may be more than 2016-2020, as an investigator may have received awards in more than one year but is counted only once for that mechanism and demographic category.
Source: NIH IMPAC, Pub File - Data produced by Statistical Analysis and Reporting
Training Grants include activity codes T01, T02, T09, T14, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T42, T90, TL1, TL4 and TU2. Not all of these activities may be in use by NIH every year. Construction grants include activity codes C06 and UC6. Other Awards include activity codes D43, D71, DP7, G07, G08, G11, G13, G20, OT2 and OT3.
Last Updated: February 2022
Link Out: https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/category/25
Figure 3: Number of NIH Principal Investigators Funded by Grant Mechanism and Ethnicity
Figure 3: Bar graph showing number of NIH principal investigators funded by grant mechanism and ethnicity in 2021. Data shows vast majority of NIH principal investigators are non-Hispanic with Hispanics representing a much smaller minority. This applies across research grants, fellowships, and training grant mechanisms.
Includes investigators receiving both competing and non-competing awards.
Analysis includes Contact Principal Investigators (PIs) and Multiple Principal Investigators (MPIs)
*Excludes awards issued using supplemental Coronavirus (COVID-19) appropriations.
Special supplemental Coronavirus (COVID-19) appropriations may include:
H.R.6074 (PL 116-123) - Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020.
H.R.748 (PL 116-136) - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Research Grants are defined as extramural awards made for Research Centers, Research Projects, Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Grants, and Other Research Grants. Research Grants are defined by the following activity codes: R, P, M, S, K, U (excluding UC6), DP1, DP2, DP3, DP4, DP5, D42, & G12.
Kirschstein-NRSA and Non-NRSA Fellowships include activity codes F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F35, F36, F37, F38, F39 and F99. Not all of these activities may be in use by NIH every year.
D = Subgroups with less than 12 recipients are suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
The NIH has adopted the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised minimum standards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting data on race and ethnicity for all grant applications, contract and intramural proposals and for all active research grants, cooperative agreements, contract and intramural projects. The minimum standards are described in the 1997 OMB Directive 15, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/fedreg_1997standards. The 1997 OMB revised minimum standards include two ethnic categories (Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino) and five racial categories (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White). ‘Person Reporting More than one race’ under race indicates investigator who indicated more than one race. Investigators who do not disclose their race are excluded from this report.
An investigator is counted only once within each fiscal year, demographic category, and grant mechanism. For All Mechanisms, an investigator is counted only once within each fiscal year and demographic category for all mechanisms combined. Therefore, the sum of the individual mechanisms may be more than All Mechanisms, as an investigator may have received awards for more than one grant mechanism but is counted only once for that fiscal year and demographic category. Similarly, for 2016-2020, an investigator is counted only once within each mechanism and demographic category for all years combined. Therefore, the sum of the individual demographic categories may be more than 2016-2020, as an investigator may have received awards in more than one year but is counted only once for that mechanism and demographic category.
Source: NIH IMPAC, Pub File - Data produced by Statistical Analysis and Reporting
Training Grants include activity codes T01, T02, T09, T14, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T42, T90, TL1, TL4 and TU2. Not all of these activities may be in use by NIH every year. Construction grants include activity codes C06 and UC6. Other Awards include activity codes D43, D71, DP7, G07, G08, G11, G13, G20, OT2 and OT3.
Last Updated: February 2022
This page last reviewed on November 14, 2022