Medical Library Assistance
Active
- Assistance listing
- 93.879
- Agency
-
National Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services
- Grant awards
- 2,244 $1,685,001,081 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Block Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 75-0807-0-2-552
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The National Library of Medicine (NLM), a component of the National Institutes of Health, funds discrete scientific research projects applying biomedical informatics, data science, and machine learning methods to improve human health, with the most recent award on February 28, 2027 (CFDA 93.879). The program has maintained steady activity through 2026 at 33 awards and awarded 4 grants in early 2027, continuing a pattern of approximately 35–55 awards annually over the past five years. Since its establishment in 1984, the program has disbursed 2,244 awards totaling $1.69 billion in federal dollars obligated, reflecting consistent demand for informatics-driven research.
Funded projects emphasize machine learning and artificial intelligence applications to real-world clinical and biomedical challenges. Recent awards include automated clinical vocabulary harmonization using large language models and symbolic AI to refine electronic health record data; AI-driven frameworks for detecting and monitoring lung disease through novel spirometry; deep learning methods for predicting HIV acquisition risk and optimizing clinical decision support; and computational frameworks for analyzing spatial omics data and tissue microenvironments. Research also spans biomarker discovery in the gut microbiome, predictive models for hospital discharge planning, medication safety platforms for operating rooms, and patient-facing AI chatbots designed to help individuals understand their own clinical notes and electronic health records.
The program is dominated by Project Grants (94% of awards, 2,112 total), with smaller shares of Block Grants (5%, 115 awards) and Cooperative Agreements (1%, 17 awards). Within the broader NIH portfolio, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences funds the largest share by federal dollars ($1.1 billion across 580 awards), while NLM itself funds 1,612 awards ($466 million federal dollars). The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the broader HHS component, and NLM's Office of the Director round out the top funders. Individual award sizes range from approximately $40 thousand for trainee-focused projects to over $2.7 million for large-scale spatial omics framework development, with median project periods extending 3–5 years.
Multiple grant opportunities remain open or recently posted for applicants. The NLM Institutional Grants for Research Training in Biomedical Informatics, Data Science, and AI (T15, due February 11, 2027) solicits innovative predoctoral and postdoctoral training programs. The Research Grants in Clinical Informatics (R01, due March 5, 2029) supports novel clinical informatics methodologies and tools. The Advancing Bioinformatics, Translational Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Research (R01, due March 5, 2029) emphasizes machine learning, AI, and large-scale computational approaches to biomedical data science.
Objective and description
- Objective
To meet a growing need for investigators trained in biomedical informatics research and data science by training qualified pre- and post-doctoral candidates; to conduct research in biomedical informatics, bioinformatics and related computer, informat
- Description
This funding is intended for discrete scientific research projects focused on using biomedical informatics and data science methods and tools to improve human health.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the project director/principal investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See Beneficiary Eligibility below for further details.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Research Grants are available to public or private, domestic or foreign, for profit or not-for-profit institutions or organizations with research capabilities in biomedical informatics, bioinformatics, computer sciences, information sciences, data sciences and related disciplines. Training Grants may be made to nonfederal public and nonprofit private institutions. With the exception of NIH Pathway to Independence awards, trainees must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Resource grants (Information Resource, Scholarly Works) are open to any U.S. public or private nonprofit institution or organization. SBIR and STTR grants can be awarded only to domestic small businesses (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed, and have no more than 500 employees). To be eligible for funding, a grant application must be approved for scientific merit and program relevance by a scientific review group and a national advisory council.
- Uses of assistance
Specific use determined at NOFO level.
- Use restrictions
Specific restrictions determined at NOFO level.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The length of a grant award varies by the type of grant. R01 research grants generally last three or five years. Resource grants, Exploratory/Developmental grants, and Career Transition awards have defined maximum periods that are provided in the funding opportunity announcements. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award will be provided to the successful applicant organization.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria for selection are specific to NOFO.
- Award procedure
Award procedures are described on the NIH website: https://grants.nih.gov/new-to-nih
- Time to approval or disapproval
Date ranges are described at the NOFO level.
- Renewals
Renewal information maybe found on the NIH website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/plan-to-apply/find-your-opportunity-contacts-and-due-dates/types-of-applications
- Appeals
The process for appeals is described on the NIH website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/html5/section_2/2.4.2_appeals_of_initial_scientific_review.htm
Grant opportunities
Show 40 more
Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 2,244 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Of Washington | $77,019,560 | 5% |
| 2 | University Of Pittsburgh - Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education | $67,375,012 | 4% |
| 3 | The Leland Stanford Junior University | $59,045,089 | 4% |
| 4 | The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York | $58,161,623 | 3% |
| 5 | Brigham & Womens Hospital Inc. | $47,069,208 | 3% |
| 6 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | $44,834,203 | 3% |
| 7 | University Of Utah | $42,723,149 | 3% |
| 8 | Yale Univ | $42,376,483 | 3% |
| 9 | University Of Massachusetts Medical School | $39,299,823 | 2% |
| 10 | The Children's Hospital Corporation | $36,753,029 | 2% |
10 of 329 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $65,577,846 |
| FY2025 | $113,834,139 |
| FY2024 | $123,543,872 |
| FY2023 | $160,122,204 |
| FY2022 | $141,197,983 |
| FY2021 | $135,026,841 |
| FY2020 | $77,353,198 |
| FY2019 | $74,666,033 |
| FY2018 | $70,664,656 |
| FY2017 | $61,044,990 |
| FY2016 | $58,133,855 |
| FY2015 | $43,430,640 |
| FY2014 | $43,377,920 |
| FY2013 | $41,907,616 |
| FY2012 | $45,865,582 |
| FY2011 | $42,428,030 |
| FY2010 | $48,216,036 |
| FY2009 | $54,271,269 |
| FY2008 | $33,356,505 |
| FY2007 | $29,120,815 |
| FY2006 | $54,319,257 |
| FY2005 | $49,932,820 |
| FY2004 | $44,731,288 |
| FY2003 | $46,337,570 |
| FY2002 | $37,085,401 |
| FY2001 | $29,639,279 |
Show all 26
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 93.879?
Assistance Listing 93.879 is Medical Library Assistance, a federal grant program run by National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services).
What is the CFDA number for Medical Library Assistance?
Its CFDA number is 93.879: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 93.879 awarded?
2,244 grant awards under 93.879 have obligated $1,685,001,081 in federal funds to 329 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 93.879?
The recipients obligated the most under Medical Library Assistance are University Of Washington ($77,019,560), University Of Pittsburgh - Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education ($67,375,012) and The Leland Stanford Junior University ($59,045,089).
How much did 93.879 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 93.879 obligated $113,834,139 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 93.879?
39 of the latest 50 opportunities under 93.879 are open or forecasted. The latest, NLM Grants for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health (G13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), was posted on September 24, 2026.
On GovTribe
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