AACI News
AACI Backs President’s Proposed $1 Billion NIH Funding Increase
President Obama has released his FY2011 budget which includes a $1 billion increase to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget for an expansion of support for biomedical research. This funding boost would make the NIH budget $32.1 billion, representing a 3.2% increase. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) would receive an additional $161 million, or 3.16% more, for a total of $5.26 billion.
The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) strongly supports the proposed increase for NIH and calls on Congress to further strengthen the impact of the President’s request by raising it to $35 billion. AACI extends its thanks to President Obama for his commitment to ensuring quality care for cancer patients, as well as for providing researchers with the tools that they need to develop better cancer treatments and, ultimately, to cure this disease.
With the extra NIH and NCI funding, the cancer community will be better equipped to leverage financial support provided through last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). ARRA dollars have helped to sustain the momentum achieved in reducing death rates from cancer, and they are proving to be an effective means of stimulating local economies and creating or maintaining jobs throughout the country.
For example, the February issue of AACI’s member newsletter reports on cancer centers in Ohio and Arkansas that are moving forward with major construction projects supported by ARRA funding. In New Mexico, an AACI member is buying equipment and hiring more staff with ARRA money, while a researcher in Tennessee is studying imaging techniques in colorectal cancer with help from ARRA grants.
Cancer’s financial and personal impact on America is substantial and growing-- one in two men and one in three women will face cancer in their lifetimes, and cancer cost our nation more than $228 billion in 2008, according to the NIH.
"This year, cancer will become the world’s number one killer," said AACI President Michael A. Caligiuri, MD. "Investing in cancer research is a prudent step - both for the health of our nation and for our nation’s economic well-being. We urge Congressional support of President Obama’s bold move to invest more resources in cancer research today for a cancer-free world tomorrow."
President Obama has released his FY2011 budget which includes a $1 billion increase to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget for an expansion of support for biomedical research. This funding boost would make the NIH budget $32.1 billion, representing a 3.2% increase. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) would receive an additional $161 million, or 3.16% more, for a total of $5.26 billion.
The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) strongly supports the proposed increase for NIH and calls on Congress to further strengthen the impact of the President’s request by raising it to $35 billion. AACI extends its thanks to President Obama for his commitment to ensuring quality care for cancer patients, as well as for providing researchers with the tools that they need to develop better cancer treatments and, ultimately, to cure this disease.
With the extra NIH and NCI funding, the cancer community will be better equipped to leverage financial support provided through last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). ARRA dollars have helped to sustain the momentum achieved in reducing death rates from cancer, and they are proving to be an effective means of stimulating local economies and creating or maintaining jobs throughout the country.
For example, the February issue of AACI’s member newsletter reports on cancer centers in Ohio and Arkansas that are moving forward with major construction projects supported by ARRA funding. In New Mexico, an AACI member is buying equipment and hiring more staff with ARRA money, while a researcher in Tennessee is studying imaging techniques in colorectal cancer with help from ARRA grants.
Cancer’s financial and personal impact on America is substantial and growing-- one in two men and one in three women will face cancer in their lifetimes, and cancer cost our nation more than $228 billion in 2008, according to the NIH.
"This year, cancer will become the world’s number one killer," said AACI President Michael A. Caligiuri, MD. "Investing in cancer research is a prudent step - both for the health of our nation and for our nation’s economic well-being. We urge Congressional support of President Obama’s bold move to invest more resources in cancer research today for a cancer-free world tomorrow."