United for medical research

What United for medical research does

United for Medical Research (UMR) is a Washington, DC-based coalition of leading research institutions, patient and health advocates, and private industry that advocates for steady and sustainable increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The organization positions itself as a unified voice making the case to Congress and the public that NIH funding saves and improves lives, advances innovation, and fuels the U.S. economy. Its membership spans research institutions, patient advocacy groups, and private industry stakeholders with a stake in biomedical research outcomes.

UMR's product portfolio is content- and advocacy-oriented rather than technology-oriented. Core offerings include the Annual Economic Report (quantifying jobs and economic activity supported by NIH research funding across all 50 states and the District of Columbia), accompanying State Toolkits, the MyWHY Report (personal-impact storytelling), the NIH Research 101 Fact Sheet Series, the Rural State Analysis (2023), the NIH In Your State interactive data portal, the Amazing Things Podcast, and a steady cadence of Letters and Statements on appropriations and regulatory matters. Distribution is via a self-serve website download center, the #keepNIHstrong social media campaign, the podcast, and direct Congressional engagement.

The business model is that of an independent nonprofit advocacy coalition rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed in the source data; no pricing, funding rounds, or revenue figures are present, and there are no disclosed investors or parent entities. The coalition model implies member dues, grants, or contributions as the funding base, with advocacy outputs (reports, letters, testimony) serving as the 'product' delivered to members, policymakers, media, and the public. Geographic scope is the United States exclusively, with all 50 states and DC covered in the Annual Economic Report.

Name

United for medical research

Legal name

United For Medical Research

Website

https://unitedformedicalresearch.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United for Medical Research (UMR) is a coalition of research institutions, patient advocates, and private industry that advocates for sustained increases in NIH funding. It produces economic impact reports, state toolkits, policy letters, and a podcast for Congress, members, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB)

Keywords

• Medical research advocacy
• NIH funding advocacy
• Biomedical research funding
• Health policy coalition
• Research funding economics

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

United For Medical Research is a coalition of research institutions, patient and health advocates, and private industry that advocates for steady and sustainable increases in NIH funding. Its core offerings are quarterly-to-annual research reports, state-specific economic toolkits, fact sheets, podcasts, and official policy letters that quantify and communicate the economic and societal impact of NIH research to Congress, policymakers, and the public.

Product overview

United For Medical Research is a coalition of research institutions, patient advocates, and private industry that advocates for sustained NIH funding. Rather than offering a unified software product, UMR provides a portfolio of advocacy resources, research reports, and educational materials including the Annual Economic Report (quantifying NIH's economic impact across all 50 states), State Toolkits with localized data, the My WHY Report (personal impact stories), NIH Research 101 fact sheets (foundational education), Rural State Analysis reports, the Amazing Things podcast, and various policy letters and statements. These products serve to educate policymakers, media, and the public about the value of NIH-funded medical research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Economic Report on NIH Funding Annual flagship report quantifying the jobs and economic activity supported by NIH research funding across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, targeted at Congress, policymakers, and the public.
• State Toolkits State-specific resource toolkits accompanying the Annual Economic Report, providing localized economic-impact data and graphics for each U.S. state.
• MyWHY Report Report highlighting the personal impact of NIH research on individuals and communities, featuring personal stories and testimonials from patients and researchers.
• NIH Research 101 Fact Sheet Series Foundational fact sheet series answering common questions about NIH research, intended for policymakers, media, and the public to build basic understanding of medical research funding.
• Rural State Analysis Report analyzing the exponential impact of NIH research funding in 7 rural U.S. states, intended to demonstrate rural economic benefits of NIH investment.
• NIH In Your State Interactive resource showing NIH research impact and funding data specific to each U.S. state, allowing policymakers and the public to view localized NIH investment data.
• Amazing Things Podcast Podcast featuring stories and discussions about NIH-funded medical research breakthroughs and innovations, intended to humanize and communicate the impact of NIH research.
• The Economic Impact of Proposed Cuts to the NIH Budget Policy analysis report quantifying the economic consequences of proposed NIH budget cuts, used to inform Congress and the public during appropriations debates.
• The Importance of a Strong NIH Fact sheet on the importance of maintaining strong NIH funding for medical research and public health, used as a concise advocacy resource for policymakers.
• Fact Sheets on Why Invest in NIH Series of fact sheets explaining why Congress must #keepNIHstrong, making the case for sustained NIH funding across multiple disease and topic areas.
• UMR Letters & Statements Continuously updated collection of official UMR letters, statements, and press releases on NIH funding priorities, federal appropriations, and policy positions targeting Congress and federal agencies.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMR's primary mission is to advocate for steady and sustainable increases in NIH funding. The organization produces annual economic reports quantifying the jobs and economic activity supported by NIH research funding across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. UMR actively engages with Congressional leaders to support NIH appropriations.
• NIH 2019-2020 Medical Research Scholars ProgramminorOthersUMR is a participant in the NIH 2019-2020 Medical Research Scholars Program, indicating a collaborative relationship with NIH's training and education initiatives.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): AAMC represents accredited U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals and is a major institutional advocate for NIH funding. It overlaps with UMR's coalition model (medical schools and research hospitals are UMR members) but operates a much broader mission across medical education, clinical care, and research policy.
• Association of American Universities (AAU): AAU is an association of leading research universities that actively advocates for federal research funding, including NIH. It is comparable to UMR through its research-university coalition advocacy for NIH appropriations, though AAU's scope extends to NSF, DOE, and other federal research agencies.

Direct peers

• Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research: The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research is a coalition of more than 200 organizations advocating for robust NIH funding. It is the closest direct peer to UMR in that both coalitions exist specifically to defend and grow NIH appropriations through unified stakeholder advocacy.
• Research!America: Research!America is a nonprofit advocacy alliance that campaigns for increased federal funding for health and medical research, including NIH. It directly parallels UMR's mission of building broad coalitions (research institutions, patient groups, industry, academia) to influence Congressional appropriations for medical research.
• Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB): FASEB is a coalition of biological and biomedical research societies that advocates for NIH funding and science policy. It is comparable to UMR in mission (sustaining NIH support) and structure (federation of member organizations), though FASEB's members are scientific societies rather than the broader research-institution/advocate/industry mix at UMR.

Emerging players

• American Heart Association (AHA): AHA is a major patient-advocate nonprofit that funds cardiovascular research and advocates for sustained NIH funding. It is comparable to UMR's patient-advocate constituency and participates in NIH appropriations advocacy, though AHA's mission is disease-specific rather than across-the-board NIH support.
• Council on Government Relations (COGR): COGR is an association of research universities and medical schools focused on the regulatory and financial management of federally funded research. It engages on NIH policy and oversight (e.g., UMR's July 2026 comments on OMB Uniform Guidance revisions are adjacent to COGR's remit) and serves a comparable research-institution coalition function.

Others

• Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): BIO is the trade association for the biotechnology industry and advocates for policies supporting biotech R&D, including NIH funding. Its industry-advocacy function parallels UMR's private-industry members, but BIO's remit covers regulation, IP, and capital markets beyond NIH appropriations.
• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA): PhRMA represents pharmaceutical companies and is a major industry advocate for NIH and biomedical research funding. Its private-industry members overlap with UMR's industry constituency, but PhRMA's primary focus is on drug pricing, IP, and regulatory policy rather than NIH appropriations specifically.

Regional players

• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN): ACS CAN is the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society and lobbies for sustained federal funding for cancer research, including NIH/NCI. It is comparable to UMR's patient-advocate constituency but focuses on cancer-specific funding rather than across-the-board NIH advocacy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/umr4nih
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedformedicalresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-medical-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United for medical research