Biomedical researchers across Los Angeles County received $1 billion in federal research funding last year – a $105 million increase over 2016, according to a report released by Biocom L.A.

The National Institutes of Health doled out $998 million in life science research funds in nearly 2,000 grants to 74 universities, hospitals and for-profit companies, according to the according to the downtown Los Angeles-based industry trade group.

This compares to $893 million in federal research funds funneled into the county in 2016

The 2017 NIH funding puts Los Angeles ahead of San Diego, among the nation’s top biotech hubs, which garnered $843 million. But the city trailed behind the San Francisco Bay Area, which received $1.6 billion.

A quarter of all NIH research funding in California comes to L.A. County.

The top six local recipients for fiscal year 2017 were UCLA at $401 million; USC at $258 million; Caltech at $64 million; City of Hope at $59 million; Cedars-Sinai at $56 million and Rand Corp. at $32 million, according to the Biocom study.

The life science industry in L.A. County generates $40.3 billion a year in economic activity, according to the association, while employing 70,000 workers in biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, research and lab services, industrial biotechnology and biofuels, and life science wholesale.

Health business reporter Dana Bartholomew can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @_DanaBart.