Federal and State Funding for Breast Cancer

The Breast Cancer Research Program employs a systematic process to ensure that the research funded by the Program is unique from, and complementary to, research that is being funded by federal agencies. This process includes the following four steps:

  1. I. Advice on how best to complement research funding available from federal agencies is sought from breast cancer research experts and advocates through means such as the National Advisory Meeting of 1994 and the Advisory Meeting of 1996. The input received at these meetings has resulted in areas of research and funding mechanisms chosen by the Council to encourage applications on breast cancer research issues that are not being well-funded by the federal government.

  2. II. All investigators are required to include in their grant applications the following information about funded research and applications pending with other agencies: the funding agency; the project title; the specific aims of the proposed research project; the dollar amount and duration of funded and pending grant requests to other agencies; the percentage of the investigator's effort devoted to the project; and a description of any potential overlap with the study proposed in the CBCRP application and what changes will be made to eliminate overlap should CBCRP fund the grant. This information is verified by the Contracts and Grants Officer at the applicant institution.

  3. III. Peer reviewers are asked, as part of their application evaluation, to note any actual or possible overlap between the proposed research and other research being conducted or planned by any investigator. If proposed projects are found to overlap significantly with currently-funded research they either are given a poor scientific merit score (because innovation and need for a study are elements of this score) or are asked to modify the proposed study to remove overlapping elements. Reviewers are selected in part because of thier knowledge of research being conducted throughout the nation, so they are also in a position to note whether proposed research appears to duplicate research cunducted by other investigators.

  4. IV. Once the grants to be awarded have been chosen, Program staff carefully review several administrative aspects before releasing funds. One of the aspects is potential duplication with other studies. Staff review the information provided above, as well as grants being funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense. If any actual or possible overlap is identified, the investigator is asked to provide further information concerning the funded projects, or is asked to delete portions of the proposed work to eliminate such overlap. Program staff must be satisfied with resolution before funds are released.

The primary federal agencies funding reasearch into breast cancer are the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Department of Defense. In 1996, the NCI supported 120 research projects in California that they determined to be entirely (64) or partially (56) focused on breast cancer, for a total of $25,522,259. Of these 120 research projects, $37 ($7.4 million) focus on the pathogenesis of breast cancer, ($5.1 million) on development of new treatment modalities, 17 ($3.5 million) on etiology, 15 ($1.5 million) on clinical trials and chemotherapy, 3 (0.5 million) on prevention 9 ($1.7 million) on early detection technology, and ($2 million) on improved access.

The Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program awarded 42 new grants in California in 1995 (the latest period for which information is available), totaling $22,447,973. Of these, 20 ($4.8 million) focus on pathology of breast cancer, 5 ($2.3 million) on breast cancer treatment, 3 ($3.4 million) on etiology, 8 ($5.9 million) on early detection technology, 1 ($0.8 million) on improved access, and 3 ($1.5 million) on breast cancer prevention.

In the second funding cycle, the California Breast Cancer Research Program has expanded the range of breast cancer research being performed in the state. The Program placed a higher priority on issues that were receiving less funding from federal agencies and which are of particular interest in our state, especially prevention, etiology, and early detection (including improved access). It is also important to note that a number of CBCRP's Cycle II grants focus on populations of special interest to California (e.g., racial and ethnic populations with large numbers of California residents). Furthermore, the California Breast Cancer Research Program increased funding for breast cancer research in the state by 30%, raising the total amount from $48,538,744 to $62,438,943.00. By continuing to direct state funds towards important topics in breast cancer that are less well-supported by federal research dollars and that are of particular importance in the state, the CBCRP promises to accelerate progress in reducing the human and economic costs of breast cancer in California.