Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
National Jewish Health
#13 in Institutes and Centers
13Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
13
37
Rank in
Research Capabilities
7
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
12
Rank in
Market Translation
Denver, CO
National Jewish Health ranks 13th of 60 biomedical institutes assessed in the Cure Innovation Index, located in Denver, Colorado. The institute's performance is led by market translation and entrepreneurial readiness, both ranking in the upper tier, while research capabilities fall in the lower half of the field. It holds a Clinical and Translational Science Award, operates an incubator, and offers an MSTP program. Known for its specialty focus in respiratory and immune-related disease, National Jewish Health presents a profile shaped more by translational capacity than by broad research scale.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
National Jewish Health ranked below average for Research Capabilities, a measure of the foundational infrastructure and resources that enable an institution to conduct high-quality, innovative science. Out of the factors in this category, National Jewish Health fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
National Jewish Health ranked below average for Entrepreneurial Readiness, a measure of whether the institution has built a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship and whether faculty are engaged in and incentivized toward commercial activity. Out of the factors in this category, National Jewish Health fared best in Ecosystem Support.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
National Jewish Health ranked above average for Market Translation, a measure of how effectively a research institution moves scientific discovery out of the lab and into real-world clinical and commercial applications. Out of the factors in this category, National Jewish Health fared best in Industry Connections.
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Cure Innovation Index Methodology
From a pool of more than 6,000 institutions, the top 303 were ranked using two dozen indicators — from scientific foundation and lab infrastructure to patents, products, and partnerships — drawn from more than a dozen federal and commercial databases, an original audit of all institutions, and surveys of more than 3,300+ scientists, industry leaders, and biomedical experts.
Insights From the Cure Innovation Index
Explore by Category
Innovation isn't a single moment — it's an entire ecosystem. The Index evaluates institutions across two dozen indicators, grouped in three core domains that reveal the full picture of what it takes to turn groundbreaking science into real-world impact.
