The University of Texas Medical Branch is in the top 2 percent of research institutions receiving funding from the National Institutes of Health moving up in the latest rankings released by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.  

Overall, UTMB, which received $156,878,411 in grants from the NIH in 2020 -2021, ranked 61 out of 2,849 research institutions. UTMB’s individual schools were also ranked. This was the first year the School of Nursing made the rankings, coming in at 44 out of 89 institutions ranked. The John Sealy School of Medicine was ranked 41 out of 144 institutions and the School of Health Professions came in at 26 out of 84 intuitions.

“These rankings represent a commitment to UTMB’s mission to pursue cutting-edge research to improve the health of Texans and those around the world,” UTMB Interim President Charles Mouton said. “It represents the collaborative efforts of researchers, local donors, and the state of Texas to bring the best minds and best resources to this state.”

Most of the university’s basic and clinical science programs also moved up on the list released by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, a nonprofit organization that ranks US research institutions by NIH grant awards each year. The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. The Blue Ridge rankings are determined by the whole value of NIH awards to a principal investigator’s institution and do not include research and development contracts or funding from sources other than the NIH.

UTMB remains the number one recipient of NIH research funding in microbiology/immunology/virology and is number two in biochemistry. Other disciplines that received more NIH grant money include anesthesiology, neurology, neurosciences, obstetrics and gynecology, pharmacology and public health and preventative medicine.

“Our improvement in the Blue Ridge rankings demonstrates the outstanding work that our research scientists are doing throughout our university,” Mouton said.  “It signifies the confidence that the NIH puts in our faculty and staff to answer the important questions necessary to improving the health of our state, nation, and the world.”