Funding Kidney Cancer Research
In the federal fiscal year 2017 (FY2017), ACKC was instrumental in securing a $10 million line item for the Kidney Cancer Research Program as part of the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). At the time, this represented the largest increase EVER in the federal budget for kidney cancer research.
Dr. James Brugarolas, head of the Kidney Cancer Program at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) said; “This $10 million appropriation represents a landmark commitment by the federal government to invest in kidney cancer research and seek a cure for this disease.”
ACKC had been advocating for 13 years for increased funding for kidney cancer research and was successful since FY2006 in having kidney cancer placed in CDMRP’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Program. For the next 11 years. The Department of Defense granted an average of $1 million a year to kidney cancer researchers. The $10 million appropriation resulted from meetings with Rep. Nita Lowey, who was then the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, the government committee that authorizes funding.
In the next couple of years, Rep. Lowey obtained $5 million increases, each year, to the Kidney Cancer Research Program’s (KCRP) budget. In FY20, when the Democrats were in the majority in the House, Rep. Lowey increased the KCRP budget by $20 million! Rep. Lowey retired from Congress in 2021, but not before topping off the KCRP budget at $50 million.
Grant History
The following legislators gave critical support in obtaining the research funding: Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), former Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), and especially Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) who was influential in getting the $10 million in the bill for this fiscal year.
Pivotal Meeting with Rep. Lowey
ACKC members meeting with Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY)
CDMRP Cancer Programs
FY (Fiscal Year) Federal Fiscal Year runs from October 1st through September 30th. Numbers are in millions. *In FY22, the Cancer Research Program consisted of 20 cancer types.