Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding for FY2024

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding for FY2024

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Updated April 12, 2024
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding
for FY2024
Members of Congress are frequently lobbied to add funding
Figure 1. Total Defense Health Program (DHP)
to annual defense appropriation legislation for certain
RDT&E Appropriation, FY2024
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), with
oversight from the Defense Health Agency, administers the
CDMRP and is responsible for awarding and managing
competitive grants.
Congress usually inserts CDMRP funding as Undistributed

Source: Explanatory Statement accompanying P.L. 118-47,
Medical Research in the Defense Health Program’s
Congressional Record, March 22, 2024, pp. H1717-H1718.
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E)
account in the annual DOD appropriation. Congressional
Figure 2 lists the FY2024 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.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-47 )
inserted $1.546 billion into the RDT&E account for
CDMRP. This amount comprises 54% of the overall
Defense Health Program’s RDT&E appropriation, as
reflected in Figure 1. Biomedical research conducted by
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or other
military research agencies is not included in this account.
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Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding for FY2024
Figure 2. CDMRP Funding, FY2024
The medical research programs funded under the CDMRP
(in millions of dol ars)
are not static. Funding may be provided for conditions not
funded in previous years. For example, funding for tick-
Program Title
FY2024
borne disease research was provided in FY2016-FY2020,
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Disorders
$ 4
but no associated funds were provided in FY2015.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
$ 40
Program Announcements and Awards
Arthritis
$ 10
USAMRDC issues periodic program announcements to
Autism
$ 15
alert researchers of CDMRP grant opportunities. The
Bone Marrow Failure
$ 8
program announcements include detailed descriptions of
Breast Cancer
$ 150
funding mechanisms, evaluation criteria, submission
Combat Readiness-Medical
$ 5
requirements, and deadlines. Program announcements are
listed on the Grants.gov website, or the CDMRP website
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
$ 10
(https://cdmrp.health.mil). The CDMRP website also
Epilepsy
$ 12
includes information on awarded grants and other resources
Glioblastoma
$ 10
such as related publications, brochures about individual
Global HIV/AIDS Prevention
$ 12
research programs, and annual reports.
Hearing Restoration
$ 5
Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program
HIV/AIDS Research Program Increase
$ 20
The program with the highest annual funding level under
Joint Warfighter Medical
$ 20
the CDMRP is generally the Peer Reviewed Medical
Kidney Cancer
$ 50
Research Program (PRMRP). For FY2024, $370 million
Lung Cancer
$ 25
was appropriated for the PRMRP.
Lupus
$ 10
PRMRP funding supports grants for medical research on a
Melanoma
$ 40
number of conditions or treatment modalities that are of
Military Burn
$ 10
“clear scientific merit and direct relevance to military
health.” Congress specifies an annual list of eligible
Multiple Sclerosis
$ 20
conditions or treatments that typically includes a few
Neurofibromatosis
$ 25
changes from year to year as medical research priorities
Ovarian Cancer
$ 45
shift.
Pancreatic Cancer
$ 15
For example, research on burn pit exposure was eligible for
Peer Reviewed Alzheimer's
$ 15
funding in FY2017-FY2021, but was not eligible for
Peer Reviewed Cancer
$ 130
funding in FY2016. Nevertheless, an investigator interested
Peer Reviewed Medical
$ 370
in burn pit exposure-related research could have submitted
Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic
$ 30
FY2016 grant applications for related eligible topics such as
Peer Reviewed Parkinson's
$ 16
respiratory health, constrictive bronchiolitis, and pulmonary
fibrosis.
Prostate Cancer
$ 110
Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury
$ 175
Table 1 lists all 42 conditions or treatments eligible for
Rare Cancers
$ 18
FY2024 PRMRP funding.
Reconstructive Transplant
$ 12
Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program
Spinal Cord Injury
$ 40
Similar to PRMRP, Peer Reviewed Cancer Research
Tick-Borne Disease
$ 7
Program (PRCRP) funding supports grants for medical
Toxic Exposures
$ 30
research on various cancers and related treatments. For
FY2024, $130 million was appropriated for the PRCRP,
Trauma Clinical
$ 5
separate from other CDMRP funding for breast, kidney,
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
$ 8
lung, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and rare
Vision
$ 20
cancers.
TOTAL $ 1,546
Table 2 lists all 18 cancers and treatments eligible for
Source: Explanatory Statement accompanying P.L. 118-47,
FY2024 PRCRP funding.
Congressional Record, March 22, 2024, pp. H1717-H1718.

CDMRP Funding Requests
Members may request funding for medical research during
Table 1. PRMRP-Eligible Conditions, FY2024
the annual defense appropriations process. The
Celiac Disease
Malaria
appropriations committees typically send Members a
Congenital Cytomegalovirus
Maternal Mental Health
memorandum with instructions for submitting requests.
Both House and Senate committee reports may specify
Congenital Heart Disease
Mitochondrial Disease
funding associated with certain research. An exchange of
Dystonia
Musculoskeletal Disorders
amendments between the houses (or a conference
Eating Disorders
Myotonic Dystrophy
committee) typically resolves any differences between the
committee reports.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Nephrotic Syndrome
Epidermolysis Bul osa
Neuroactive Steroids
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Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding for FY2024
Far-UVC Germicidal Light
Pancreatitis
Blood Cancers
Metastatic Cancers
Food Al ergies
Peripheral Neuropathy
Brain Cancer*
Myeloma
Fragile X
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Colorectal Cancer
Neuroblastoma
Frontotemporal Degeneration
Proteomics
Endometrial Cancer
Pediatric Brain Tumors
Guil ain-Barre Syndrome
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Hepatitis B
Respiratory Health
Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young
Esophageal Cancer
Adult Cancers
Hereditary Ataxia
Rett Syndrome
Hydrocephalus
Scleroderma
Germ Cel Cancers
Sarcoma
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Sickle Cell Disease
Liver Cancer
Stomach Cancer
Interstitial Cystitis
Suicide Prevention
Lymphoma
Thyroid Cancer
Lymphedema
Vascular Malformation
Source: Explanatory Statement accompanying P.L. 118-47,
Computational Biology for
Congressional Record, March 22, 2024, p. H1719.
Von Hippel-Lindau Disease
Precision Health
Note: *Excludes glioblastoma.
Fibrous Dysplasia / McCune-
Focal Segment
For more information on CDMRP, see CRS Report
Albright Syndrome
Glomerulosclerosis
R46599, Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Accelerated Aging Processes
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis /
Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, by Bryce
Associated with Military Service
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
H. P. Mendez.
Source: Explanatory Statement accompanying P.L. 118-47,
Congressional Record, March 22, 2024, p. H1719.
Bryce H. P. Mendez, Analyst in Defense Health Care
Table 2. PRCRP-Eligible Cancer Topics, FY2024
Policy
Bladder Cancer
Mesothelioma
IF10349

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