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Updated January 14, 2021
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding
for FY2021
Members of Congress are frequently lobbied to add funding
Figure 1. Total Defense Health Program RDT&E
to annual defense appropriation legislation for certain
Appropriation, FY2021
medical research programs on a wide variety of diseases
and topics. In addressing annual appropriations bills, many
Members frequently seek information on enacted levels for
such funding under the Congressionally Directed Medical
Research Programs (CDMRP).
CDMRP Administration and Funding
The CDMRP is a Department of Defense (DOD) program
that receives congressional appropriations explicitly for
biomedical research in specific, congressionally identified
health matters. As such, it is not part of the President’s
budget request for the DOD. The U.S. Army Medical
Research and Development Command (USAMRDC)
administers the CDMRP and is responsible for awarding
and managing competitive grants.
Congress usually inserts CDMRP funding as Undistributed
Source: U.S. Congress, Conference Committee, Explanatory
Medical Research in the Defense Health Program’s
Statement accompanying H.R. 7617, 116th Cong., Division C, p. 147C.
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E)
account in the annual DOD appropriation. Congressional
Table 1 lists the FY2021 CDMRP funding amounts for
documents accompanying the annual defense appropriation
specific medical research areas.
act (i.e., conference reports or explanatory statements)
identify the specific research areas for a given fiscal year.
Table 1. CDMRP Funding, FY2021
(in millions of dol ars)
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260)
inserted $1.489 billion into the RDT&E account for
Program Title
FY2021
CDMRP. This amount comprises 62% of the overall
Defense Health Program’s RDT&E appropriation, as
Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
4
reflected in Figure 1. Biomedical research conducted by
Alzheimer’s Disease
15
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or other
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
40
military research agencies is not included in this account.
Autism
15
Bone Marrow Failure Disease
7.5
Breast Cancer
150
Chronic Pain Management
15
Combat Readiness Medical
10
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
10
Epilepsy
12
Gulf War Il ness
22
Hearing Restoration
10
Global HIV/AIDS Prevention
8
Joint Warfighter Medical
40
Kidney Cancer
50
Lung Cancer
20
Lupus
10
Melanoma
30
Multiple Sclerosis
20
Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes
15
Ovarian Cancer
35
Pancreatic Cancer
15
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 2 link to page 2 Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding for FY2021
Peer-Reviewed Cancer
115
For example, research on burn pit exposure was eligible for
Peer-Reviewed Medical
370
funding in FY2017-FY2021, but was not eligible for
Peer-Reviewed Orthopedic
30
funding in FY2016. Nevertheless, an investigator interested
Rare Cancers
17.5
in burn pit exposure-related research could have submitted
Reconstructive Transplant
12
FY2016 grant applications for related eligible topics such as
Scleroderma
5
respiratory health, constrictive bronchiolitis, and pulmonary
Spinal Cord Injury
40
fibrosis. Table 2 lists all 42 conditions or treatments
Tick-Borne Disease
7
eligible for FY2021 PRMRP funding.
Trauma Clinical
10
Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program
Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health
175
Similar to the PRMRP, Peer Reviewed Cancer Research
Tuberous Sclerosis
8
Program (PRCRP) funding supports grants for medical
Vision
20
research on various cancers and related treatment
HIV/AIDS
16
modalities. For FY2021, $115 million was appropriated for
Prostate Cancer
110
the PRCRP, separate from other CDMRP funding for
breast, kidney, lung, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic,
TOTAL
1,489
prostate, and rare cancers. Table 3 lists all 20 cancers and
Source: U.S. Congress, Conference Committee, Explanatory
Statement accompanying H.R. 7617, 116th Cong., Division C, p. 147C.
treatments eligible for FY2021 PRCRP funding.
CDMRP Funding Requests
Table 2. PRMRP-Eligible Conditions or Treatments,
Members may request funding for medical research during
FY2021
the annual defense appropriations process. The
Arthritis
Malaria
appropriations committees typically send Members a
Burn Pit Exposure
Metals Toxicology
memorandum with instructions for submitting requests.
Both House and Senate committee reports may specify
Cardiomyopathy
Mitochondrial Disease
funding associated with certain research. A conference
Congenital Heart Disease
Myalgic
committee typically resolves any differences between the
Encephalomyelitis/Chronic
committee reports.
Fatigue Syndrome
Diabetes
Myotonic Dystrophy
The medical research programs funded under the CDMRP
Dystonia
Non-Opioid Pain Management
are not static. Funding may be provided for conditions not
funded in previous years. For example, funding for tick-
Eating Disorders
Nutrition Optimization
borne disease research was provided in FY2016-FY2020,
Emerging Viral Diseases
Pathogen-Inactivated Blood
but no associated funds were provided in FY2015.
Products
Program Announcements and Awards
Endometriosis
Peripheral Neuropathy
USAMRDC issues periodic program announcements to
Epidermolysis Bul osa
Plant-Based Vaccines
alert researchers of CDMRP grant opportunities. The
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Platelet-Like Cell Production
program announcements include detailed descriptions of
funding mechanisms, evaluation criteria, submission
Fibrous Dysplasia
Polycystic Kidney Disease
requirements, and deadlines. Program announcements are
Focal Segmental
Pressure Ulcers
listed on the Grants.gov website, or the CDMRP website
Glomerulosclerosis
(http://cdmrp.army.mil/).
Food Al ergies
Pulmonary Fibrosis
The CDMRP website also includes information on awarded
Fragile X
Respiratory Health
grants and other resources such as related publications,
Frontotemporal Degeneration
Rheumatoid Arthritis
brochures about individual research programs, and annual
Hemorrhage Control
Sleep Disorders and Restriction
reports.
Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program
Hepatitis B
Suicide Prevention
The program with the highest annual funding level under
Hydrocephalus
Sustained Release Drug Delivery
the CDMRP is generally the Peer Reviewed Medical
Hypertension
Vascular Malformation
Research Program (PRMRP). For FY2021, $370 million
was appropriated for the PRMRP.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Women’s Heart Disease
PRMRP funding supports grants for medical research on a
Source: U.S. Congress, Conference Committee, Explanatory
number of conditions or treatment modalities that are of
Statement accompanying H.R. 7617, 116th Cong., Division C, pp. 149-
“clear scientific merit and direct relevance to military
150.
health.” Congress specifies an annual list of eligible
Table 3. PRCRP-Eligible Cancers and Treatments,
FY2021
conditions or treatments that typically includes a few
changes from year to year as medical research priorities
Cancers associated with the use
Lymphoma
shift.
of Beryl ium
Bladder Cancer
Mesothelioma
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding for FY2021
Blood Cancers
Metastatic Cancers
Head and Neck Cancer
Thyroid Cancer
Brain Cancer
Neuroblastoma
Liver Cancer
Scleroderma and Cancer Links
Colorectal Cancer
Pediatric Brain Tumors
Source: U.S. Congress, Conference Committee, Explanatory
Statement accompanying H.R. 7617, 116th Cong., Division C, p. 149.
Endometrial Cancer
Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young
Adult Cancers
Bryce H. P. Mendez, Analyst in Defense Health Care
Esophageal Cancer
Sarcoma
Policy
Germ Cel Cancers
Stomach Cancer
IF10349
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10349 · VERSION 10 · UPDATED