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The UNC School of Medicine ranks 16th overall in NIH funding; 6th among public universities. The department of cell biology and physiology is the highest ranked at 2nd overall.


The UNC School of Medicine ranks 16th overall in NIH funding; 6th among public universities. The department of cell biology and physiology is the highest ranked at 2nd overall.

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February 20, 2018

The University of North Carolina School of Medicine continues to be a national leader in biomedical research with six basic science departments ranked in the top 10 and 10 clinical departments ranking in the top 25 for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in 2017, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR).

In total, the School of Medicine was awarded $272,644,942 from the NIH. This sum is more than $4 million more than the school’s NIH total in 2016, when it also ranked 16th overall and sixth among public institutions.

Here are the science departments in the top 10:

Cell Biology and Physiology (2nd)

Pharmacology (3rd)

Biochemistry and Biophysics (4th)

Genetics (5th)

Biomedical Engineering (7th)

Microbiology and Immunology (8th)

All rank in the top three when compared to other public research universities.

Here are the clinical departments in the top 25:

Obstetrics and Gynecology (5th)

Anesthesiology (8th)

Family Medicine (12th)

Psychiatry (14th)

Medicine (15th)

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (17th)

Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery (19th)

Dermatology (22nd)

Radiology (22nd)

Pediatrics (25th)

“In the UNC School of Medicine, we are very proud of the innovative research we conduct that advances human health,” said Blossom Damania, PhD, vice dean for research at the school of medicine. “We are committed to excelling in the biomedical research arena, and the latest NIH rankings confirm this commitment and our investment in research. These NIH grants enable our faculty, students, fellows, and staff to advance our understanding of fundamental biological processes and to achieve groundbreaking medical discoveries that advance the health and well-being of the people in North Carolina and beyond.”