Federal Spending Report — 2026-08-15
Federal Spending Report: August 15, 2026
The federal government obligated $1.3 million across five awards on August 15, 2026, with research institutions capturing the bulk of funding through grant programs spanning agriculture and scientific research.
The University of Georgia Research Foundation dominated the day's spending, securing $650,000 from the Department of Agriculture for research conducted in Georgia. This single award represented half of all federal obligations on the date. The National Science Foundation distributed the remaining major grants, with three awards totaling $590,000 split across Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, alongside a smaller $50,000 grant to the University of Chicago.
Two federal agencies drove the spending activity. The Department of Agriculture obligated $662,000 across two awards, while the National Science Foundation distributed $590,000 through three separate grants. All five awards came in the form of grants, indicating a focus on research and institutional funding rather than contracts or other obligation types.
Beyond the University of Georgia's dominant award, a redacted contractor received $552,000 across three separate grants from the National Science Foundation, making it the second-largest recipient by total funding. The University of Chicago rounded out the top three contractors with its $50,000 NSF award.
Geographically, Georgia led all states with $650,000 in obligations, followed by Indiana and Michigan each receiving $270,000. Illinois captured $50,000, while Texas received the day's smallest award of $12,000 from the Department of Agriculture. The concentration of funding in the Southeast and Midwest reflects a pattern of research distribution across major academic institutions.
The August 15 spending snapshot reveals the federal government's continued investment in university-based research, with three of five award recipients being academic institutions. The relatively small number of unique contractors—just three entities—suggests targeted, institutional relationships rather than broad competitive distribution on this particular date.