Funding Landscape
Where NIH funding flows in this space — trends, category concentration, and top-funded organizations.
Lighter bar = partial fiscal year (YTD only); not directly comparable to fully-reported prior years.
Through September 2026; FY2026 ends Sep 30, 2026.
| Category | Projects | Share | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapeutics | 81 | 70.4% | $77.2M |
| Basic Research | 9 | 7.8% | $11.9M |
| Biotools | 8 | 7.0% | $8.7M |
| Diagnostics | 6 | 5.2% | $4.3M |
| Infrastructure | 5 | 4.3% | $2.6M |
| Training | 5 | 4.3% | $807K |
| Medical Device | 1 | 0.9% | $405K |
| Organization | Projects | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO | 11 | $12.5M |
| DIVISION OF BASIC SCIENCES - NCI | 7 | $12.4M |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | 6 | $9.0M |
| SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH | 10 | $8.1M |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON | 8 | $4.6M |
| UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER | 2 | $4.2M |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | 5 | $4.1M |
| BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE | 3 | $3.4M |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | 2 | $3.0M |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | 5 | $2.8M |
Among the examined projects, our analysis reveals a dominant focus on PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT) for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, with Precise-tier projects concentrated on three interlocking challenges: modulating PSMA expression to improve target engagement (e.g., the MELT program at UCSF), personalizing dosimetry through AI-driven treatment planning and absorbed-dose prediction (Yale, University of Michigan), and overcoming resistance by combining RLT with immunotherapy or vaccination (University of Wisconsin-Madison, UCLA). The sample totals approximately $105.9M across 115 projects, with FY2024 at $40.9M and FY2025 at $51.2M - though two data points do not establish a trend - and FY2026 YTD at $13.8M reflecting only partial-year reporting. A secondary priority visible in the sample is expanding the radionuclide toolkit: multiple projects pursue alpha-emitting isotopes (Ra-223, Pb-212, At-211) and novel chelator chemistry to improve therapeutic index and enable matched theranostic imaging pairs. UCSF ($12.5M), the NCI Division of Basic Sciences ($12.4M), and Johns Hopkins ($9.0M) are the top-funded organizations in the sample, suggesting that both intramural NCI programs and a handful of high-volume academic centers are anchoring the majority of examined investment.
Funding Summary
Funding figures sum award amounts across all budget periods for each project. Each fiscal year reflects actual spend in that year, not the most recent budget period only. Totals only include projects that meet the topic-relevance threshold - umbrella support grants (e.g., P30 cancer centers) that host a relevant trial but cover many unrelated programs are intentionally excluded so the headline number stays topically attributable.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Committed Funding | $105.9M |
| Active Projects | 115 |
| Funding Organizations | 52 |
| Principal Investigators | 125 |
Funding by Year
| Year | Projects | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 (YTD) | 27 | $13.8M |
| FY2025 | 78 | $51.2M |
| FY2024 | 77 | $40.9M |
The Projects column counts each project in every year it received funding, so per-year counts sum to more than the 115-project sample total. Funding amounts are actual per-year spend from NIH RePORTER budget-period rows.
Through September 2026; FY2026 ends Sep 30, 2026. The YTD figure should not be compared directly to fully-reported prior years.
Top Funding Categories
| Category | Projects | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Therapeutics | 81 | $77.2M |
| Basic Research | 9 | $11.9M |
| Biotools | 8 | $8.7M |
| Diagnostics | 6 | $4.3M |
| Infrastructure | 5 | $2.6M |
| Training | 5 | $807K |
| Medical Device | 1 | $405K |