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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Feinberg School of Medicine

Our Research

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is a top-tier medical school where nationally recognized scientists collaborate with skilled clinicians to improve human health. Feinberg provides 70 percent of all research funding across Northwestern University (2023-2024). The collaborative medical school faculty conducts basic science, clinical and translational research on campuses in Chicago and Evanston.

As part of an academic medical center, Feinberg strives to quickly apply our breakthroughs in laboratory research into clinical practice. Scientists at Feinberg are supported by the Northwestern University Office for Research, the Feinberg Research Office and a network of 30 research core facilities on both campuses. Research is conducted in all Feinberg departments, institutes and centers.

Funding and Awards

For the 2023-2024 academic year, Feinberg awards totaled $742.2 million.

NIH Funding

  • In 2023-2024, Feinberg received National Institute of Health (NIH) awards totaling $461 million.
  • Awards for individual training grants numbered 89 F awards, 74 K awards and 35 T awards.

NIH Rankings

In 2024, Feinberg ranked 13th in NIH funding rankings among all American Medical Schools, up from 39 in 2002.

Fifteen departments at Feinberg ranked among the top 20 in their specialty, according to data released by the NIH. They are: Public Health (Preventive Medicine and Medical Social Sciences) (1), Urology (1), Dermatology (2), Obstetrics and Gynecology (3), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (3), Physiology (Neuroscience) (4), Anatomy/Cell Biology (5), Neurology (6), Surgery (7), Neurosurgery (10), Pharmacology (14), Internal Medicine (15), Radiation Oncology (15), and Microbiology, Immunology and Virology (16), Pathology (19).

Investigators

  • 724 principal investigators (PIs)
  • 505 PIs on NIH grants

Research Space

Northwestern University celebrated the opening of the Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center building June 17, 2019. The building doubles vivarium capacity and houses laboratories for both Feinberg and the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, the research arm of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Feinberg has approximately 1,366,000 net square feet of space, of which just over 784,000sf is dedicated to research. Total space includes over 112,000sf in the new Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center and over 120,000sf of wet lab space renovated within the last five years as well as 100,000 square feet of newly-acquired dry lab research space over the same time period. Since 2009, Feinberg has invested more than $150,000,000 in renovating more than 400,000 net square feet of owned and leased space. In addition, the affiliated Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute occupies 93,000sf in the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center.

Clinical Trials

Approximately 6,902 clinical trials and clinical research studies took place at Feinberg in 2023-2024.

Technology Transfer

For academic year 2023-2024, there were:
  • 58 patents
  • 4 new start-up companies