We are proud to share that the Duke Department of Pediatrics has been ranked among the top five departments nationwide for 2025 National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. This year, our division secured more than $49 million in NIH support, an extraordinary achievement that reflects the dedication, expertise, and hard work of our entire community.
Reaching the No. 5 national ranking is a remarkable milestone, and several highlights underscore the significance of this accomplishment:
- Unprecedented Advancement: We rose from 17th place in 2024 to 5th in 2025, a remarkable 12‑place jump.
- Resilience and Adaptability: The new ranking demonstrates our ability to respond and adapt during a challenging year for research nationwide. Despite setbacks across the field, our teams continued to innovate and secure critical funding to advance our mission.
- Exceptional Growth: Our funding nearly doubled in just one year, increasing from $25 million in 2024 to $49 million in 2025.
- National Research Leadership: This year’s results reaffirm that our investigators are among the best in the country. Brian Smith, MD, MPH, MHS, is recognized as the highest NIH‑funded pediatric researcher in the United States by Blue Ridge.
- A Strong Duke Community: We are proud to stand alongside several additional Duke School of Medicine departments ranked in the top ten – further evidence of Duke’s national prominence in biomedical research.
This achievement reflects our department’s unwavering commitment to advancing scientific discovery and improving the health and lives of children. Our collective resilience, agility, and shared purpose shine through in both these rankings and in our daily work.
Please join us in congratulating our research teams for their extraordinary accomplishments.
2025 rankings are compiled by the independent Blue Ridge Institute in Medical Research based on data derived from NIH year-end composite data for the deferral fiscal year ending 30 September 2025, as released on the NIH Research Portfolio Reporting Tool (RePORT).
Top 5 Pediatric Departments
| 2025 RANKING | NIH FUNDING AWARDED |
|---|---|
| #1 University of Colorado Denver | $63,012,475 |
| #2 Baylor College of Medicine | $60,050,600 |
| #3 Emory University | $59,084,390 |
| #4 University of California San Diego | $56,682,892 |
| #5 Duke University | $49,724,305 |