Action to Cure Kidney Cancer Announces 2006 Defense Department Budget to Include Kidney Cancer Research Among Diseases Eligible for Medical Research Funding

For the first time ever, kidney cancer has been included among the disease categories that are eligible to compete for $50 million in research grants awarded by the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Programs. Kidney cancer was included based on the efforts of Action to Cure Kidney Cancer and key members of Congress.

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 21, 2006 -- Action to Cure Kidney Cancer (ACKC) is pleased to announce that it has been successful, through the efforts of ACKC advocates and key members in the Senate and House of Representatives, including Senators Charles Schumer and Arlen Specter and Representatives Steve Israel and Peter King in achieving an important milestone in federal government funding of kidney cancer research. Kidney cancer, for the first time, has been included in the list of diseases that are eligible to participate in the $50 million Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) of the Department of Defense (DoD).

We are grateful for the leadership of Senators Schumer and Specter and Representatives Israel and King in ensuring that kidney cancer was included in the defense appropriations bill that was signed by the President on December 30, 2005.

The $50 million allocated for the DoD PRMRP is a competitive, open, research proposal process that now allows kidney cancer researchers to compete, along with researchers from 24 other disease categories, for the $50 million in grant money. We strongly encourage kidney cancer investigators to submit grant proposals for this funding opportunity. The Program will begin accepting applications in mid-February for the next 90 days.

Kidney cancer strikes more than 36,000 Americans each year, and over 12,500 succumb to the disease for which few treatment options are currently available. ACKC is a grassroots organization that advocates for legislation to fund kidney cancer research including the DoD programs and also raises private funds for kidney cancer education and research projects.

Contact:

Jay Bitkower
Action to Cure Kidney Cancer
212-799-4354
http://www.ackc.org

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