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Impact of the National Cancer Act on Grant Support¹

National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

The National Cancer Act of 1971 resulted in a threefold increase in appropriations for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) within a 4-year period. A major effect was the increase for the Grants Program from $93 million in fiscal year 1970 to more than $280 million in 1974.

Grant programs, administered by the Division of Cancer Research Resources and Centers, account for more than 50% of the total NCI extramural research budget and fall into four broad categories: research, training (including fellowships), cancer control, and construction. With the exception of the training area, funding for all grant programs has increased dramatically as a result of the Act. The cost of research has also risen, as reflected in the average twofold increase in cost per NCI traditional grant over the past 10 years. This rise in cost is due to a number of factors, including inflation, more sophisticated equipment and supplies and, in some cases, more ambitious projects.

The principal type of research grants include traditional, awarded for investigator-initiated research projects, and center, awarded for comprehensive and specialized cancer centers. While support for traditional grants has remained in the forefront of NCI funding, money for cancer center grants has increased at a greater rate in recent years, reflecting emphasis on the development of cancer centers throughout the country.

Compared to other institutes at the NIH, NCI is in a very favorable funding position; in fiscal year 1974, NCI awarded more money for its research grant programs than all of the other institutes (with the exception of the National Heart and Lung Institute) obligated for their entire budgets.

The Act has stimulated a large increase in new cancer applications received, and the increased funding has made it possible for NCI to award a greater number of grants. Young investigators have competed well for the additional monies made available by the Act, and funding for cancer research outside the United States, still only a small part of NCI's budget, has increased.

¹ Portions of this paper were presented to the National Cancer Advisory Board, March 19, 1974, Bethesda, Md., and to the Association of American Cancer Institutes, June 26, 1974, Detroit, Mich.

Received 11/11/74. Accepted 11/20/74.