The University of Nebraska Medical Center has pulled in more than $82.4 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services so far this year, spread across more than 150 separate grants and funding actions that touch everything from cancer research to infectious disease preparedness. The money flowed from agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underscoring Omaha's growing footprint in federal biomedical research.
The total breaks down into two broad categories, according to Nebraska Public Media: about $23.8 million is destined for brand-new projects, while roughly $58.6 million represents renewed or extended support for programs already underway. Rep. Don Bacon announced the funding Wednesday, framing it as proof of UNMC's standing among the nation's medical research institutions.
Where the Money Is Going
Biomedical science and research infrastructure drew the single largest slice, at $23.5 million, per the same outlet's reporting. Clinical care and public health programs received $21.1 million, while brain, aging and behavioral-health research captured $17.1 million. Cancer research and treatment accounted for $13.8 million, and infectious-disease research received $6.7 million.
Separately, UNMC worked alongside Nebraska Medicine to monitor hantavirus patients at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha during the spring, the station's report notes.
Bacon Touts UNMC as a National Leader
In announcing the funding, Bacon described UNMC as a premier medical research, infectious disease and biocontainment institution, according to a statement cited in the dossier. He added that Nebraska is grateful to be home to UNMC and will continue supporting it as a national leader. UNMC Vice Chancellor for Research Ken Bayles said UNMC has experienced strong growth in almost every aspect of its research enterprise.
The university frames the broader goal of its research portfolio as producing new life-saving cures, diagnostic tools and treatment strategies. Separately, UNMC's College of Medicine recently announced it had received grants and awards representing more than $15 million in new funding, covering projects in cancer, infectious disease and biomaterials, according to a University of Nebraska Medical Center announcement.
A Year of Overall Growth, With Caveats
The HHS total lands amid a stretch of broader financial momentum for UNMC's research operation. Research-specific awards jumped 35% in fiscal year 2025-26, climbing to more than $230 million from $170 million the year before, according to Nebraska Cures. Total sponsored awards, which include non-research funding, rose 30% to just under $290 million from $223 million. Federal grant and contract funding specifically increased to $109 million from $97.6 million, while industry-sponsored funding grew to $56.4 million from $33 million.
That growth follows a more mixed picture from the prior fiscal year. UNMC closed fiscal year 2025 with $223 million in sponsored awards, including $170 million tied to research — a total that represented less than a percentage point of change from fiscal year 2024, according to the university. Federal grants and contracts had actually declined 16% from the end of 2024, with federal subcontracts down 8%, though the university said those reductions were offset by a near doubling in the value of its industry-sponsored grants and contracts that year.
