Increased Funding for National Institutes of Health and Juvenile Diabetes Research

JDRF greatly appreciates Congress’ efforts to double the budget for the National Institutes for Health (NIH) over a 5-year period beginning with Fiscal Year 1999 – 2003. Strong NIH funding is needed to ensure that researchers are able to capitalize on gains achieved as a result of this effort.

The Diabetes Working Group, comprised of diabetes experts and established by Congress to guide them in making diabetes research decisions, recommended that the federal investment of $1.5 billion was needed in FY 2003 to take full advantage of the scientific opportunities in diabetes research. The NIH estimates that it will allocate $845 million in FY 2003 to diabetes research, which is only 56% of the Diabetes Working Group’s recommended level, despite the doubling of the NIG budget.

Given the many opportunities in juvenile diabetes research, we ask Congress to help us to fully find the recommendations of the Diabetes Working Group.

For more information, please contact the Dallas JDRF office at (214)373-9808 or email us at info@jdrfDallas.org.