Government funding for cancer research

Due to investments in research through the National Cancer Institute, rates of new cancers are declining. While AICR has funded more than $110 million for research through our own grant program, continued federal government investment in cancer research is key to ensuring a future without cancer.

Research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, more specifically, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), made major contributions toward the strides taken against preventing and defeating cancer in the last decade. Even a small decrease in funding for these programs has the potential to derail this progress. AICR uses its voice and those of our researchers, both individually and as part of coalitions, to ensure that we continue on this path forward.

How We Are Taking Action

Coalitions Helping Us Achieve This Goal

• One Voice Against Cancer
  In 2019, AICR joined One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC), a coalition of cancer-fighting organizations with the goal of increasing funding for federal cancer research programs.
• The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research
  AICR joined the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research in 2019 to help amplify our voice in advocating for increased federal funding for the NIH.
• In each of the last three fiscal years, we have collaborated with OVAC organizations to achieve increases in federal funding for cancer research.
• In 2021-22, we partnered with other leading cancer and biomedical research organizations to request $46.4 billion for NIH in FY 2022, a $3.5 billion increase, including $7.6 billion for NCI. NIH was eventually funded at $44.96 billion, with the NCI receiving $6.9 billion, a success for cancer research.
• For FY 2023, we join OVAC to request $49 billion in base funding for NIH, a $4.1 billion increase from the FY 2022 funded amount, including $7.766 billion for NCI.
• AICR supports the establishment of an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) focused on accelerating cancer and biomedical research translation. AICR joins the rest of the biomedical research advocacy community in advocating that funding for ARPA-H not come at the expense of other appropriations for NIH or NCI, and that funds be used to address research across the spectrum from prevention to survivorship, including research on the impact of healthy lifestyles.
• For FY 2023, the Ad Hoc Group recommends $49 billion in base funding for NIH. To ensure the NIH continues essential clinical research, funding for the ARPA-H initiative must not supplant NIH funding.