The Research Triangle Institute, which conducts business as RTI International, is a nonprofit research organization located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and loosely affiliated with several universities in North Carolina’s Research Triangle region. The organization is among the largest non-governmental organizations in the United States, having reported $1.2 billion in 2023 revenue. The group is a significant recipient of federal government grant funding and received $4.2 billion in federal grants under the Biden administration, receiving between $500 million and $1.2 billion in federal grants annually since 2010. The group’s research projects are wide-ranging in scope and geography, focusing on human health, environmental issues, ecology, and education, among other topics. ^{1 2}

The group has been active in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology, but began removing references to DEI from its website following President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order banning DEI programs in federal grantmaking. ³

Background and History

RTI International was founded in 1958 by university, business, and government leaders to “retain local talent” around North Carolina dubbed the “research triangle” which houses several universities. The organization was the anchor tenant of Research Triangle Park, a business hub in the area that has since grown into a hub of research and technology companies across several industries. ²

Initial projects of RTI International centered on environmental research and statistics. The group conducted its first international development project in 1961, a rural economic and agricultural statistics survey in Nigeria funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In 1966, the group was designated by NASA as one of seven teams created to promote space exploration technology in the private sector, and in 1972, RTI built instruments for NASA spacecraft. ²

RTI has conducted research funded by the U.S. government since its inception and has worked with several agencies including NASA, USAID, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). RTI International has spun-off standalone for-profit ventures from its research including Ziptronix, a microchip company created by RTI in 2000. While RTI’s research has spanned a variety of fields, much of its focus has been centered on environmental topics such as Superfund sites, synthetic fuels, nuclear radiation, and air pollution. ²

Size and Structure

RTI International is among the largest non-governmental organizations in the United States and is the largest nonprofit organization headquartered in North Carolina that is not a university or hospital. RTI reported over $1.2 billion in revenue in 2023 with $1.2 billion in expenses and nearly $500 million in net assets. ⁴

The group reports having a staff of nearly 6,000 individuals with 25 offices on four continents. The group also states that its staff works in over 75 countries and holds degrees in over 250 disciplines. RTI was founded with support from universities in the research triangle and maintains close ties with North Carolina State University, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ⁴

Federal Grants

RTI International is a significant recipient of federal government grant funding. The organization received $4.2 billion in federal grants under the Biden administration and between $500 million and $1.2 billion in federal grants annually since 2010.

In 2024 , the top five government sub-agencies that provided federal funding to RTI were USAID, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ¹

In 2023 the Biden administration gave RTI International $100 million to promote left-of-center “environmental justice” projects, stating that “RTI International has been selected to serve as Environmental Justice Grantmaker, which will provide grant awards under EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program that was created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history.” ⁵

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

RTI International was active in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ideology for several years, but began removing references to DEI from its website following President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order banning DEI programs in federal grantmaking. The group renamed a page titled “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and Belonging” to “Belonging at RTI” and removed numerous other DEI statements and references to DEI from its website. At least initially following the order-related changes, some areas of the website retained DEI language including the webpage to apply for a job at RTI, which still stated that “RTI is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace” as of late January 2025. ³

1. “RTI International.” USA Spending. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/8303ed9b-9fb4-3e90-ca81-50bbcf400948-P/latest
2. “Our History.” RTI International. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://www.rti.org/our-history
3. X.com Post. Parker Thayer. January 27, 2025. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://x.com/ParkerThayer/status/1883990267373449583
4. “About.” RTI International. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://www.rti.org/about-us
5. “Biden-Harris Administration Selects RTI International to Receive $100M to Fund Environmental Justice Projects Across U.S., to Include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, as Part of Investing in America Agenda.” Environmental Protection Agency. December 20, 2023. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-selects-rti-international-receive-100m-fund-environmental