Federal Spending Report — 2026-09-01
Federal Spending Brief: September 1, 2026
The federal government obligated $5.9 million across 20 awards on September 1, 2026, with the National Science Foundation leading disbursements to academic institutions across five states. The single-day awards favored research grants, with 19 of 20 contracts structured as grants totaling $5.7 million.
The National Science Foundation dominated spending, accounting for $4.8 million of the $5.9 million total through 12 separate awards to universities. Mississippi State University secured the largest single award at $798,000, followed by the University of Washington at $735,000. The University of Washington emerged as the top contractor overall, receiving $1.1 million across two awards. Other major recipients included the University of Miami ($600,000 from the Department of Agriculture) and the University of Vermont & State Agricultural College ($596,000 from NSF).
Academic institutions captured the vast majority of obligations, with 15 unique contractors splitting the $5.9 million. Beyond the University of Washington's dual awards, Mississippi State University, the University of Miami, and the University of Vermont each received single grants. Redacted contractor records accounted for $690,000 across five awards.
Beyond NSF's $4.8 million commitment, four other federal agencies distributed modest amounts: the Department of Agriculture obligated $600,000; the Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated $236,000 as a direct payment; the National Endowment for the Humanities distributed $150,000 across three awards; and the Department of Health and Human Services obligated $133,000 in three separate grants.
Washington and New Jersey led by state, with $1.1 million and $855,000 respectively. Mississippi, Florida, and Vermont rounded out the top five recipient states. The concentration of NSF funding to research universities underscores the federal government's continued emphasis on academic research initiatives, with the single-day obligations spread primarily across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, alongside Mississippi.