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Reinforcing NIH’s Continued Commitment to Fundamental Research
By NIH Staff
Because it is often difficult to predict how today’s discoveries will translate into tomorrow’s advances, NIH’s policies and funding approaches are designed to maintain strong support for investigator-initiated fundamental research. NIH’s Gold Standard Science plan explains that our priority-setting processes provide strong support for hypothesis-driven research while balancing opportunities to support other forms of innovative and high-risk research. Advancing foundational knowledge of human health and disease is also a stated goal for the next NIH-wide strategic plan under development. Here we discuss NIH’s continued commitment in this area.
A substantial portion of NIH’s investment in biomedicine supports research that seeks to uncover the fundamental principles and mechanisms underlying human health and disease. It also informs applied, clinical, and translational studies. These discoveries enable future advances, from prevention strategies to new diagnostics and lifesaving treatments that improve the health of all Americans.
Reflecting its critical role, NIH generally invests at least half of its extramural research budget in fundamental research. When looking specifically at grants that support either fundamental/basic research or applied research using the Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) system, basic research is generally around half of the grant-supported projects over the past five fiscal years (Table 1). The higher dollar figures for applied research reported here likely reflect the higher cost to conduct these types of studies. The methodology used here is consistent with a prior archived analysis, with slight differences in results due to updated quality control.
Table 1. Basic and Applied Research: Projects and Inflation-Adjusted Funding Amount – Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2025
| Fundamental / Basic | Applied | |||
| FY | Projects | Funding* | Projects | Funding |
| 2021 | 31,575 | 14,682,818 | 30,447 | 18,851,759 |
| 2022 | 32,034 | 14,639,122 | 31,258 | 18,643,098 |
| 2023 | 32,503 | 14,594,675 | 32,179 | 18,712,414 |
| 2024 | 32,242 | 14,161,009 | 31,495 | 17,897,927 |
| 2025** | 28,341 | 13,922,240 | 30,485 | 18,142,971 |
* Dollars in thousands
** FY 2025 RCDC data are estimates at this time
While the trajectory from discovery to application is rarely linear, fundamental research has repeatedly laid the groundwork for transformative advances. These studies have led to advances in gene-editing therapies for sickle cell disease, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, sequencing the human genome, developing cancer immunotherapies, antibodies to prevent food allergies, addressing hearing loss, and organ-on-chip technologies to accelerate drug development. More is available on NIH’s commercial success stories and NIH Impact pages.
Additional evidence of impact includes:
- Approximately 87% of 356 new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2010-2019 could be linked to NIH-supported studies. NIH funding for these studies totaled $187 billion, 83% of which was for basic research.
- 10.9% of those 356 drugs had at least one patent citing NIH-funded research.
- Supported phased clinical trials for 62% of the new drugs approved by the FDA over that period.
- Basic research supported by the NIH has led to nearly 100 scientists winning Nobel prizes.
Beyond individual discoveries, NIH funding for fundamental research:
- Sustains the biomedical workforce supported through NIH awards
- Enables collaboration across institutions and disciplines through funded projects
- Supports early stage and pre-clinical research, including through small business programs
- Catalyzes downstream private-sector investment.
Communicating How NIH Prioritizes Fundamental Research
Through our Highlighted Topics resource, NIH signals priority areas while continuing to support investigator-initiated applications in response to parent funding opportunities that advance foundational knowledge. Selected examples include:
- Computational Approaches in Fundamental Neuroscience
- Quantum Information Science & Technologies for Biomedical Applications
- Fundamental Science Research on the Neural Circuits Underlying Sensory Processing
- Advancing Microbiome Science Through Multidisciplinary Mechanistic Investigations of the Human Microbiome in Health and Disease
Learn more about what to do with Highlighted Topics in this April 2026 Nexus article.
By continuing to prioritize investigator-initiated fundamental research through its extramural funding approach, NIH supports the foundational discoveries that drive progress across the biomedical research enterprise. This NIH-wide commitment is reflected across NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), each of which supports fundamental research in ways that align with its specific mission and scientific priorities.
The following perspectives from ICs (in alphabetical order) illustrate how this commitment is upheld across the agency. Click on the IC's name to read more about their continued commitment.
NCCIH views fundamental research as the bedrock for understanding the biological and physiological mechanisms of integrative health practices. This understanding serves as a foundation for translational and clinical studies that can lead to improved approaches for management, treatment, and prevention of numerous conditions and an ultimate restoration of health. Through its staged research framework, NCCIH supports a full pipeline from basic and mechanistic studies to translational research, clinical trials, and dissemination and implementation science. NCCIH’s research priorities focus on rigorous investigation of complementary approaches with an emphasis on whole-person health, pain management, and real-world application, guided by principles such as scientific promise, feasibility for rigorous study, potential to change health practices, and relevance to critical public health needs. Learn more about NCCIH on their Profile page.
Cutting-edge foundational research is the engine behind breakthroughs in vision science and treatment and is central to NEI’s mission to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life. NEI prioritizes rigorous, peer-reviewed research with strong merit, bold innovation, and the potential to move the field forward. The institute maintains a balanced portfolio across basic, translational, and clinical science to drive both foundational knowledge and advancing breakthroughs for clinical needs in vision science. Through this continued investment in fundamental science, transformative advances resulted such as gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases, optical coherence tomography, artificial intelligence applications, and emerging approaches to restore vision. Because the visual system is highly accessible for study, discoveries in vision research often extend to other organs and diseases, amplifying its impact. Learn more about NEI on their Profile page.
Sustaining and strengthening a robust foundation for genomics is a core NHGRI priority, including support for research that enables the generation and analysis of increasingly complex genomic data. The institute funds a broad investigator-initiated portfolio across the translational spectrum, including foundational research spanning genome biology, technology development, comparative and population genomics, genomic variation, and functional genomics (more here). NHGRI places particular emphasis on emerging approaches that are comprehensive and broadly applicable across biological systems and diseases. Learn more about NHGRI on their Profile page.
NIA supports a robust portfolio of fundamental research focused on the basic biological and behavioral mechanisms of aging and how they shape health and longevity (such as described in this review). Understanding aging at this foundational level is critical for public health, particularly as the U.S. older adult population grows, and aging remains the primary risk factor for many chronic diseases. These fundamental insights help inform strategies to prevent and treat conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. To sustain progress, NIA prioritizes a balanced funding portfolio that both advances essential basic research and supports the training of investigators in the field. Learn more about NIA on their Profile page.
Preclinical fundamental research is central to NIAAA’s mission to generate and apply knowledge about the adverse effects of alcohol on health and well-being, improving diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the more than 200 diseases and alcohol-related conditions across the lifespan. This foundational work drives the development of effective public health strategies to reduce the burden of alcohol-related disease. In its funding decisions, NIAAA follows the NIH unified funding strategy, prioritizing highly innovative, investigator-initiated research with strong reproducibility and translational potential and not relying on paylines. The Institute also will continue supporting highly innovative fundamental research that has demonstrated reproducibility and translational potential. This includes focusing on prevention, especially early interventions and using an ongoing cycle between basic and clinical research to improve how we diagnose, prevent, and treat alcohol-related health problems. Learn more about NIAAA on their Profile page.
NIAID’s two-pillar research approach reflects a strong commitment to advancing fundamental research on the immune system, microbial biology, and host–microbe interactions. In addition to driving scientific discovery, this support helps sustain the research workforce focused on infectious and immune-mediated diseases. Funding decisions are designed to maintain a balanced portfolio across mission areas, with fundamental research comprising a substantial component. Learn more about NIAID on their Profile page.
Fundamental research provides the knowledge base that underpins transformative biomedical technologies. Because NIBIB’s mission integrates physical sciences, engineering, and computational approaches, sustained investment in foundational science is essential for enabling future innovations that improve human health. The Institute prioritizes funding in areas where emerging discoveries can catalyze advances in biomedical technology. And through rigorous peer review, the Institute ensures fundamental research remains a core component for a balanced, forward-looking portfolio. NIBIB also advances this commitment through initiatives such as BRING-SynBio, a partnership with the National Science Foundation that accelerates the translation of foundational discoveries into early stage biotechnology development. Learn more about NIBIB on their Profile page.
Fundamental research underpins advances in translational science across hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. By elucidating the basic biology of sensory organs and neural circuits, this work provides critical insight into how these systems develop, function, and become disordered, enabling progress in diagnostics, prevention, and treatments. As an example of decades of sustained NIDCD investment in basic hearing research, the FDA approved the first gene therapy for monogenic hearing loss in April 2026. Going forward, the Institute will continue to use the 2023–2027 NIDCD Strategic Plan to guide its funding priorities, emphasizing advancing fundamental knowledge and developing model systems to support future clinical translation. Learn more about NIDCD on their Profile page.
As the world’s largest funder of oral health research, NIDCR advances fundamental knowledge of dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) health and disease and translates these insights into strategies for prevention, early detection, and treatment. NIDCR’s funding decisions weigh rigorous assessments of scientific merit, alignment with program priorities, and balance across the research portfolio. Moreover, these decisions are anchored in the current NIDCR Strategic Plan, which emphasizes continued investment in fundamental research to sustain scientific excellence and advance the institute’s broader mission. To that end, the Institute’s supported research has deepened understanding of the oral microbiome and inflammatory pathways underlying gum disease, with implications for both oral and systemic health. Initiatives such as the DOC Tissue Regeneration Consortium further bridge discovery and clinical application, helping move basic science toward patient-centered solutions. Learn more about NIDCR on their Profile page.
NIEHS supports fundamental research on the mechanistic pathways by which environmental exposures may disrupt molecular, cellular, and physiological systems, laying the groundwork for identifying early disease processes and points of intervention. By advancing understanding of biochemical interactions, gene–environment interplay, and effects across organ systems, this fundamental research sheds light on potential environmental health risks across the lifespan and strengthens prevention efforts. NIEHS prioritizes studies that pair rigorous mechanistic insight with clear relevance to human biology. In funding decisions, the Institute emphasizes experimental approaches that position fundamental discoveries to inform real-world health understanding, even when immediate translational applications are not yet evident. Learn more about NIEHS on their Profile page.
NIGMS’ commitment to fundamental research is at the center of its mission: supporting fundamental research that seeks to uncover the principles and mechanisms underlying human health and disease, particularly across multiple organ systems. Programs such as the Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) provide flexible support for investigator-initiated research, enabling scientists to pursue new and innovative directions. NIGMS’ continued investment in fundamental science also emphasizes access to cutting-edge technologies, training the next generation of biomedical researchers, supporting early stage investigators, and expanding the reach of research across institutions and geographic regions. Learn more about NIGMS on their Profile page.
Fundamental research enables NIMH to refine understanding of brain mechanisms underlying complex behaviors. Our funding decisions prioritize the likelihood that such research will yield translational value for future therapeutic development. NIMH supports studies on how genes influence brain function, computational approaches to neuroscience (see this Highlighted Topic), and New Approach Methodologies requiring technology development and validation. Overall, NIMH will continue to support fundamental research that identifies and characterizes biological targets, clarifies their role in disease, and evaluates their potential for therapeutic modulation. Learn more about NIMH on their Profile page.
NINDS prioritizes scientifically rigorous, investigator-initiated research that addresses fundamental gaps in understanding how the healthy brain and nervous system function. We simply do not know enough about how the healthy brain and nervous system function to understand—and intervene—when dysfunction leads to disease. Unlike many other organ systems, we are just beginning to understand the types, function and organization of hundreds of billions of cells, with trillions of connections, that comprise the dauntingly complex human brain. Fundamental research, such as a comprehensive cell census of the developing human brain, serves as the essential foundation for developing innovative treatments for neurological disorders. Reflecting this commitment, the institute has consistently invested over half of its base budget in fundamental neuroscience research for decades. Recent advisory guidance continues to shape funding priorities and catalyze new areas of discovery, including those highlighted in a published Highlighted Topic. Learn more about NINDS on their Profile page.