The lung cancer community has a unique and urgent opportunity to influence the future of lung cancer research funding in Congress. The Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP), part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) within the Department of Defense, is an important source of federal funding for lung cancer research.
LUNGevity and over 20 other patient advocacy groups are coming together to ask Congress to increase funding for the LCRP. Together we are asking for $60 million for the LCRP in the next fiscal year.
Why $60 Million?
Seventy percent of high-quality research proposals seeking funding from the LCRP in Fiscal Year 2021 were rejected due to a lack of available funds. Lung cancer advocates have calculated that funding all of these promising and highly rigorous projects would require a budget of $60 million for the LCRP. If approved, this would be a $40 million increase. Similar large increases have happened before: the budget for the Ovarian Cancer Research Program grew by $15 million in 2020, with an additional $10 million increase in 2022. These increases have been achieved thanks to the impact of vocal patient advocates.
How You Can Help
The LUNGevity Action Network hosts an easy-to-use platform with a built-in letter template, making it simple to reach out to policymakers to share personal stories and experiences in order to explain why we need more funding for lung cancer research. The letter asks senators to sign a forthcoming Dear Colleague letter from Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island (one of the main supporters of this effort in Congress), requesting $60 million for the Lung Cancer Research Program in the Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Defense appropriations bill.
Click here to find your senators and personalize your letter.
The deadline for letter submissions is May 12th, with a full vote expected to take place in July or August.
Additional Information
For more on the CDMRP and LCRP, a webinar hosted by the LUNGevity Action Network on this issue is available here. The webinar features expert speakers Mark Vieth, Coordinator of the Defense Health Research Consortium, and Jill Morningstar, a caregiver and former congressional aide. And be sure to join the LUNGevity Action Network for the latest updates and Action Alerts!