Additional $15 Million Approved in the FY2010 Department of Defense Budget Today, the United States Congress approved an additional $15 million in research funding for lung cancer as part of the fiscal year 2010 Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations package. This brings the total to $35 million that Congress has appropriated to date for the new program since it was launched in October of last year. The bill will now be sent to the President for signature.
"This is another wonderful step forward in our efforts to see federal funding increased for lung cancer research," said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) President & CEO. "We remain deeply grateful to Congressman John Murtha (D-PA), the Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Committee and to Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee for their continued support and protection of this vitally important new research program and funding stream."
The first wave of research grants are about to be awarded under the new program which is being funded through the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.
"With lung cancer research funding at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) still so low and actually dropping in proportion to lung cancer's mortality impact, our goal from the beginning has been not only to advocate for increases in NCI grant funding, but also to seek additional research pipelines for badly needed lung cancer research," Fenton Ambrose continued. "Ultimately we need a comprehensive and multi-agency strategy to fully address all aspects of this disease. This program is a another step toward that goal."