Federal Spending Report — Week of 2026-05-10
Federal Spending Report: May 10-16, 2026
The federal government obligated $1.4 million across 28 awards during the week of May 10-16, 2026, with the National Science Foundation and Department of Agriculture accounting for all spending. The bulk of activity centered on agricultural payments in Texas, while research grants flowed primarily to academic institutions.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University captured the largest single award at $639,000 in National Science Foundation funding, representing 46 percent of the week's total obligations. The grant dwarfed the second-largest award—a $200,000 NSF grant to the Regents of the University of Michigan. A direct payment of $189,000 to Corrigan Square Housing Limited from the Department of Agriculture in Texas rounded out the top three, marking the only non-grant disbursement in the week's activity.
The spending pattern reveals a stark divide in award distribution. While five contractors received identified awards, one redacted entity claimed 24 separate Department of Agriculture awards totaling $328,000—suggesting a concentrated set of smaller agricultural payments concentrated among a single beneficiary. The remaining named contractors each received single awards, with Texas-based University of Texas at Dallas securing $26,000 in NSF research funding.
The National Science Foundation directed $865,000 across three awards, all in the form of research grants to universities. The Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, obligated $517,000 through 25 awards—predominantly smaller disbursements, with one significant direct payment exception. This 25-to-3 award ratio indicates the Agriculture Department's activity was spread across numerous smaller transactions, while NSF concentrated resources on fewer, larger research commitments.
Geographically, Virginia led with $639,000, though Texas dominated in award volume with 19 transactions totaling $449,000. Michigan and Massachusetts each received single awards, while Pennsylvania secured $18,000 in Agriculture funding. The concentration in Texas suggests sustained federal agricultural support or housing initiatives in the state during this period.
Grants accounted for 96 percent of obligations at $1.2 million across 27 awards, with direct payments representing a minimal share. The week's spending underscores the federal government's continued emphasis on academic research infrastructure and agricultural support, with educational institutions capturing more than half of total dollars obligated.