Dear Members of the Meso Community,
We understand the deep concern many of you are feeling regarding the current changes and fluctuations in funding for federal programs. The mesothelioma community is tied into federal programming in a few ways, but the two main ones are:
- Patient services, clinical trials, and research through the National Institute of Health (NIH)
- Research funding through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) through the Department of Defense
The NIH’s patient services have not seen a change at this time. If you are a patient at the NIH, all appointments should continue as scheduled. If you have questions about appointments or clinical trials at the NIH, please reach out directly to your provider.
As for research, NIH announced on February 7th that reimbursement for facilities and administrative (F&A) costs would be cut, often referred to as indirect costs, capping current and future F&A costs at 15%. What does this mean exactly? Thousands of universities and other research facility programs are funded through NIH each year. These programs rely on F&A costs to support the development and maintenance of laboratories, libraries, and research facilities as well as administrative support for safety and compliance. A federal judge issued a halt on this funding cut. There is a hearing scheduled for February 21st and we will be monitoring this evolving issue and keeping you updated.
The CDMRP funding is currently not under any direct threat. We will be keeping an eye on this funding and will be urging the congressional Appropriations Committees on Defense to keep mesothelioma as part of the Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program under the CDMRP.
We want you to know that we are not standing idle. Our foundation has a strong history of successful advocacy, having previously helped secure nearly $20 million in mesothelioma research funding through the CDMRP. We are drawing on this experience to develop a comprehensive advocacy strategy to address these new challenges.
Our plan includes:
- Engaging with members of Congress (specifically the Senate and House Appropriations Committees for Defense and Health and Human Services) to educate them about the critical importance of mesothelioma research funding.
- Collaborating with other research organizations and patient advocacy groups to present a united front.
- Engaging the meso community to advocate locally with their congressional representatives guided by specific talking points and requests to keep both NIH and CDMRP funding intact for 2025 while future solutions are being developed.
In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to invite you to participate in our advocacy efforts. Your voices and stories are powerful tools in demonstrating the real-world impact of mesothelioma and the urgent need for continued research funding.
Rest assured that the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation remains committed to our mission of eradicating mesothelioma and the suffering it causes. We are working tirelessly to ensure that mesothelioma research remains a priority in the face of these funding challenges.
Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to get involved. Together, we can make a difference and continue the fight against mesothelioma.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to a world without meso.
