The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research
A Plan and Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2008
Prepared by the Director, National Cancer Institute as mandated by The National Cancer Act (P.L. 92-218)
Extramural Research
Funding and conducting innovative research are the highest priorities at NCI. The largest allocation of NCI's budget is dedicated to building the capacity of the cancer research enterprise by providing infrastructure, resources, and other support. An essential component of this infrastructure is the NCI Extramural Research Program that supports basic and clinical cancer research in institutions outside of the NIH. The program reaches nearly 650 universities, hospitals, Cancer Centers, and other sites throughout the United States and in more than 20 other countries. Approximately 85 percent of NCI's budget funds extramural research activities.
A Closer Look — Support for Extramural Research
The majority of NCI's extramural funding supports investigator-initiated Research Project Grants (RPGs); in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, NCI anticipates investing more than $2.1 billion in support of about 5,000 RPGs. NCI also invests in a significant portfolio of extramural projects solicited through various initiatives. For instance, in FY07 NCI expects to invest more than $440 million in Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs), Cancer Centers, and specialized centers. NCI's extramural budget also supports cancer control, investigator training, health disparities, research collaborations with the private sector, and other types of research and development activities.
Program experts in NCI's Divisions of Extramural Activities (DEA), Cancer Biology (DCB), Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD), Cancer Prevention (DCP), and Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) guide and administer the NCI investment in extramural biomedical research. Central responsibilities of the DEA involve establishing and disseminating extramural policy, coordinating scientific and merit review, and all aspects of grant development and tracking. DCB and DCTD manage a portfolio of grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts in areas relevant to cancer biology (DCB) and diagnostic/therapeutic cancer interventions (DCTD). DCP supports extramural research focused on cancer prevention, early intervention, symptom management, and supportive care, while DCCPS conducts an integrated program of genetic, epidemiologic, behavioral, social, and surveillance cancer research.
