Since 2015, the Department of Pediatrics at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health has ranked among the Top 20 medical school pediatrics departments in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The department received $23,506,745 in research grants during NIH’s 2023 fiscal year, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research 2023 rankings. This places the department at number 19 in the nation in NIH funding among 85 pediatrics departments.
In the last 10 years, the department has received a total of $233,755,344 in NIH funding, the 11th-highest total among pediatrics departments during that timeframe.
“It is a testament to our research faculty and staff that the department has been among the top pediatrics departments in the country for so long,” said James Gern, MD, professor in the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology and vice chair of research for the department. “Nineteen department members served as PIs on NIH research grants last year, and seven of them received more than $1 million in funding — this reflects our dedication to developing and supporting the broad-based research programs of our faculty.”
Research and scholarly work in the department extends from basic, translational, and clinical research to health services research and quality improvement projects. New NIH grants were awarded to PIs investigating a wide range of topics that include early brain development, how the microbiome affects the biliary system, and how technology and digital media influence health behaviors and well-being in adolescents. Investigators from nine of the department’s 16 divisions lead research grants.
“The breadth and diversity of research across the department is outstanding,” said Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, professor and interim department chair. “While our standings in the Blue Ridge rankings are a point of pride for our department, we are especially proud of the totality of the department’s funding, which comes from sources beyond the NIH, including industry, state and federal, foundation, and philanthropy.”
This is the ninth year in a row the department ranked in the Top 20, with four appearances in the Top 10. The department has been moving up the rankings for nearly two decades, up from No. 44 in 2006.
Read more about the Department of Pediatrics’ research success in its 2023 Annual Report.