By The Numbers: How research institutions in Oklahoma use NIH funding

Research institutions in Oklahoma and across the country are scrambling to adjust to the Trump administration’s decision to cut National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for medical and scientific research.

On February 7, the NIH announced it would begin capping “indirect cost” payments for new and existing research grants at 15%, effective February 10.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the order in 22 states that sued NIH but Oklahoma did not participate in the lawsuit. Indirect costs are generally considered ‘back office’ costs or overhead.

So, how much grant funding did Oklahoma higher education institutions receive in the most recent full year (2024), and how much of it went to cover indirect costs?

According to the NIH website, in 2024:

Oklahoma State University 

Grants awarded— 29

Total funding — $11,821,059

Total indirect cost funding — $3,007,085

Indirect costs as a percentage of total — 26%

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OSU Center for Health Sciences 

Grants awarded—5

Total funding — $3,808,330

Total indirect cost funding — $805,101

Indirect costs as a percentage of total — 21%

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University of Oklahoma 

Grants awarded—28

Total funding — $11,446,358

Total indirect cost funding — $2,804,433

Indirect costs as a percentage of total — 31%

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OU Health Sciences Center 

Grants awarded—152

Total funding — $75,243,376

Total indirect cost funding — $16,543,040

Indirect costs as a percentage of total — 25%

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University of Tulsa

Grants awarded—1

Total funding — $426,000

Total indirect cost funding — $126,000

Indirect costs as a percentage of total — 30%