Funding for Research Areas
The National Cancer Institute reports how appropriated funds are spent based on different categories or classifications, including specific cancer sites, cancer types, diseases related to cancer, as well as types of NCI research mechanisms. The table below identifies funding levels for frequently requested areas of cancer research.
The research areas in this table do not represent the entire NCI research portfolio. Moreover, funding for research areas often overlap, and therefore the total for all research areas does not add to the total NCI budget. For example, funding for a clinical trial on breast cancer would be included in both the Breast Cancer and the Clinical Trials lines in the table below. Similarly, a basic cancer research project may be relevant to cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers, and relevant amounts would be included in the amounts for all three areas of cancer research. NCI provides estimated amounts based on initial budget data before final reconciliation is completed. After this analysis is done, years are marked Actual where figures often vary slightly from previously reported estimates.
| Disease Area | 2015 Actual | 2016 Actual | 2017 Actual | 2018 Actual | 2019 Estimate | 2020 Estimate | 2021 Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total NCI Budget | $4,952.6 | $5,206.2 | $5,636.4 | $5,927.7 | $5,992.3 | $6383.3 | $6,467.0 |
| AIDS | 269.7 | 266.4 | 249.0 | 241.2 | 242.0 | 242.0 | 248.9 |
| Brain & CNS | 204.8 | 196.3 | 219.8 | 220.9 | 231.7 | 595.1 | 251.1 |
| Breast Cancer | 543.6 | 520.1 | 545.1 | 574.9 | 545.4 | 514.6 | 558.3 |
| Cervical Cancer | 57.1 | 65.6 | 68.8 | 71.5 | 86.0 | 69.3 | 73.7 |
| Clinical Trials | 748.0 | 801.0 | 806.6 | 889.8 | 794.3 | 843.0 | 824.6 |
| Colorectal Cancer | 209.3 | 212.2 | 208.4 | 256.0 | 238.8 | 211.6 | 248.0 |
| Head & Neck Cancers | 60.2 | 58.9 | 63.6 | 62.1 | 71.5 | 49.7 | 69.0 |
| Hodgkin Disease | 13.6 | 12.8 | 13.0 | 13.3 | 12.2 | 14.3 | 15.9 |
| Leukemia | 246.9 | 241.0 | 250.5 | 258.3 | 256.7 | 244.5 | 276.0 |
| Liver Cancer | 70.3 | 75.7 | 72.7 | 95.9 | 107.8 | 96.3 | 111.5 |
| Lung Cancer | 255.8 | 283.8 | 320.6 | 350.1 | 418.8 | 402.8 | 459.0 |
| Melanoma | 132.8 | 142.9 | 153.2 | 158.4 | 191.9 | 155.6 | 179.2 |
| Multiple Myeloma | 48.9 | 52.1 | 60.7 | 61.5 | 58.2 | 43.3 | 51.3 |
| Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma | 122.4 | 116.7 | 119.5 | 121.0 | 120.4 | 119.5 | 137.7 |
| Ovarian Cancer | 92.8 | 95.3 | 109.8 | 120.8 | 121.5 | 116.5 | 134.7 |
| Pancreatic Cancer | 125.3 | 152.6 | 178.3 | 182.1 | 187.0 | 178.5 | 218.1 |
| Prostate Cancer | 228.9 | 241.0 | 233.0 | 239.1 | 244.8 | 209.4 | 269.7 |
| Stomach Cancer | 13.5 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 10.6 | 15.4 |
| Uterine Cancer | 13.0 | 16.8 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 17.9 | 13.6 | 14.4 |
These figures were created using NCI's coding methodology. More information about this methodology, as well as the research projects associated with these and other disease area categories, are available on the NCI Funded Research Portfolio website.
The FY 2021 funds available to the NCI totaled $6.4 billion (includes $195 million in CURES Act funding), reflecting an increase of 1.6 percent, or $99.3 million from the previous fiscal year. Under the NCI RPG funding policy for FY 2021, non-competing grants were awarded at 100% of the committed levels. For more information on NCI's grant funding policy, visit the NCI Division of Extramural Activities website.