WashU Medicine’s otolaryngology department said on September 24 that its current data place it third among U.S. otolaryngology departments by total NIH funding. It also reported the highest number of projects and R01 awards. Chair Sid Puram, MD, PhD, said the department holds 18 R01/U01 awards. These are the department’s attributed, interim figures; its article does not provide the underlying award-level calculation.
WashU says its funding rank moved from tenth in 2024 to sixth in 2025. A final independent 2026 comparison is still to come. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research says the federal fiscal year ends September 30, after which it expects final NIH award data and a public-review period before releasing annual rankings around late February. Its current site offers 2025 as the latest annual ranking.
A larger portfolio of major awards can signal research breadth, but these figures do not establish a final 2026 rank, research quality, clinical effect or patient outcomes. The independent annual table will provide a later check on the department’s current comparison.
The distinction between a department’s current tally and the later annual ranking matters to anyone using funding position as a signal in hiring, training or research partnerships.
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WashU Medicine Otolaryngology · September 24, 2026 ↗Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research · ranking timetable ↗This brief summarizes publicly announced information. It does not establish clinical superiority or recommend a treatment.
