ATLANTA (February 17, 2026) – Emory University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, a proud academic partner of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, received $59 million in federal research grant dollars from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2025 for pediatrics departments, according to rankings released from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. With this achievement, the partner institutions celebrate four years in the top three and a decade in the top five for NIH funding.

Notable research projects supporting this ranking and physician training highlights are now available in the 2025 Research and Education Report: Championing Pediatric Science and Training. The funding allows researchers to work toward groundbreaking cures, treatments and innovations such as leading a national trial to improve survival in extremely preterm infants, developing the world’s first publicly available single-cell atlas for pediatric leukemia and shedding light on how race and ethnicity factor into the development of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

“In the midst of a year of change and uncertainty for medical research, Children’s and Emory were able to continue their lifesaving and life-changing work as demonstrated by this enduring accomplishment marking four years in the top three and a decade in the top five for federal research funding,” said Shari Barkin, MD, Pediatrician-in-Chief, Children’s, and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Emory. “I can’t help but marvel at all our institutions have accomplished, and it is an honor to be part of the legacy.”

The Children’s and Emory partnership facilitates leading-edge pediatric research, training, and innovation so that Children’s can deliver the best outcomes possible for patients and families. Rankings are calculated by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research and only take into account direct NIH grants awarded from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. In addition to the $59 million in NIH grant funding that led to the No. 3 ranking, more than 1,700 publications in more than 700 journals in the same period helped support groundbreaking efforts to develop new treatments or cures in 50 specialty areas.

The NIH is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world, granting more than 80 percent of its budget to more than 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools, and other research institutions in every state and around the world. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research is a trusted nonprofit that utilizes data annually on all research and development contracts awarded by the NIH. Children’s is grateful for the support of donors whose contributions also help make this research possible. Visit choa.org/research to learn more.