Bolstering Health Equity and Economic Growth: The University of Hawaiʻi’s $58 Million in NIH Biomedical Research Grants

In 2023, the University of Hawaiʻi received over $58 million in federal biomedical research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), contributing to $158 million in economic activity in the state and supporting 819 local jobs. This information was revealed in the United for Medical Research 2024 annual report that analyzed the economic impact of NIH funding across the United States.

The funding from NIH helps researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi sustain their important work in areas such as disease cures, cancer treatment, and health equity improvements for underrepresented groups and rural communities in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region. According to Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH Vice President for Research and Innovation, this funding is crucial in supporting research efforts while also stimulating the state’s economy through research-related expenditures.

In Fiscal Year 2023, Hawaiʻi received $68.7 million in NIH funding, with 85% of that amount going to the University of Hawaiʻi. The UH Cancer Center and the UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine were major contributors to NIH-funded research projects during that year, receiving 79 of the 93 NIH grants awarded to the state.

Nationally, NIH funding in Fiscal Year 2023 totaled $37 billion, supporting over 412,000 jobs and generating $92.9 billion in new economic activity. This highlights the broader impact of NIH funding on