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NEW — Government Reopens – Now It’s Time to Say NO to Flat Funding
With the federal government finally reopened, lawmakers are back to work negotiating their annual spending bills. Now that they’ve returned, our work as advocates continues – and it’s important we continue to speak up.
Our biggest threat to increased federal funding for pancreatic cancer research now? Congress passing another long-term continuing resolution, which would keep funding frozen at last year’s unacceptable levels or potentially worse, once again stalling progress for pancreatic cancer research.
We can’t let that happen. Because patients can’t wait.
Together, we must each be ready to speak up and urge Congress to:
- Reject a long-term continuing resolution.
- Pass full-year spending bills with the highest possible increases for pancreatic cancer research.
Make sure momentum toward earlier detection, better treatments and longer lives doesn’t slow down more than it already has.
10/31/2025 — PanCAN President & CEO Joins Leaders, Researchers on Capitol Hill
The government is shut down, but advocating for consistent and increased federal funding for cancer research never stops.
That’s why this week, PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, went to Washington, D.C., where she joined fellow leaders from the One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) coalition on Capitol Hill for the first-ever OVAC CEO Lobby Day – a united effort to make sure Congress prioritizes strong, sustained funding for cancer research and prevention programs.
In addition to PanCAN, the American Cancer Society Action Network, ZERO Prostate Cancer, Deadliest Cancers Coalition, LUNGevity Foundation, Colorectal Cancer Alliance and the National Cancer Registrars Association attended this special gathering.
OVAC’s message to lawmakers was simple but powerful: invest in research that saves lives. Together, the coalition called on Congress to support the highest possible funding levels in the FY26 Labor-HHS spending bill, including:
- $47.2 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- $7.374 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
- $417.5 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) cancer programs
For the pancreatic cancer community, these investments are critical. Federal research funding in the past has driven breakthroughs that are improving outcomes for patients, leading to earlier detection, better treatments and renewed hope for families affected by this disease. But that progress depends on consistent support from Congress.
Julie shared, “These investments are more than line items – they’re a commitment to families, patients and the next generation of scientists. It was an honor to stand alongside fellow CEOs to deliver that message to Congress.”
The next day, Julie and pancreatic cancer researchers Dr. William Hawkins from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center; Alyson Stevens, MD/PhD, candidate at West Virginia University School of Medicine; and Dr. Kirsten Bryant from the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC-Chapel Hill had meetings with members of Congress.
Together, they highlighted the real-world impact of federal cancer research funding, the progress that’s been made thanks to decades of bipartisan investment and the urgent need to protect it.
These meetings came at a challenging time. This year alone, funding cuts, freezes and the current government shutdown have already slowed research progress. When the government is closed, new patients can’t enroll in federally funded NIH Clinical Center clinical trials, new research grants are delayed and vital scientific work comes to a halt.
For patients waiting for new treatment options – especially those facing aggressive cancers like pancreatic cancer – every delay matters.
That’s why PanCAN, our partners in the OVAC coalition and PanCAN advocates like you will continue to advocate for long-term, sustained federal investment in cancer research and prevention. Because lives depend on it.
10/03/2025 — Government Shutdown Halts Research Progress
Just after midnight on October 1, federal spending lapsed. With no deal reached on either a short-term funding patch or full–year appropriations bills for the new fiscal year, many government operations have now shut down.
This shutdown is not just a political standoff – it has real consequences for patients and research progress. Already this year, the threats of funding cuts, freezes, staff terminations and prolonged uncertainty have slowed research. Now, with the government closed:
- New patients aren’t being admitted to the NIH Clinical Center.
- Critical work to advance scientific discovery is frozen.
- New research grants are not being issued.
- Agency staff are furloughed.
- Training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at NIH facilities has stopped.
For patients with pancreatic cancer and their families, time is the one thing they don’t have to spare. Every delay in research means lost opportunities for progress.
That’s why we need your voice now more than ever. Tell Congress to reopen the federal government and finalize spending bills that include increases for pancreatic cancer research. Science cannot advance without funding – researchers, patients and families need stability, not shutdowns.
Together, we must keep pushing for action by taking action.
9/10/2025 — House Joins Senate in Supporting Medical Research
Thanks to you and your continued advocacy, Congress is showing bipartisan recognition of the importance of investing in medical research.
Here’s the latest:
House Moves Forward on Research Funding
Last week, the House Labor-HHS subcommittee marked up its appropriations bill and reported it out of committee – rejecting the steep cuts proposed by the administration. In a strong signal of bipartisan support, lawmakers once again prioritized medical research.
Yesterday, the full House Appropriations Committee advanced the bill. While the increases we saw in the Senate bill were not included, the House did maintain flat funding levels for NIH and NCI, preventing harmful cuts.
Why This Matters
Together, the House and Senate actions demonstrate that both parties continue to recognize the value of investing in biomedical research. These investments protect the nation’s scientific infrastructure, keep the peer-review grant-making process moving without disruption and help ensure that appropriated funds are fully obligated to researchers who rely on them.
The Road Ahead
While this progress is encouraging, there is still urgent work to do. Current federal funding expires on September 30, and researchers need certainty to keep moving forward on discoveries and treatments.
We must continue to urge Congress to finish the job and pass appropriations bills into law – so that pancreatic cancer research, and all medical research, can continue without interruption.
Every investment made today fuels tomorrow’s progress. Together, we’ll keep making sure pancreatic cancer research remains a national priority.
8/7/2025 — Progress Toward a Big Goal, But Our Work Continues
As Congress adjourns for its August recess, we want to thank you for your ongoing advocacy and provide an important update on where things stand for pancreatic cancer research funding.
Your calls and emails to Congress have made a real difference. Because of the dedication of PanCAN advocates like you across the country, we’ve seen encouraging developments on Capitol Hill. But, we’re also entering a critical stretch, and we can’t let up now.
Major Milestone in the Senate Defense Bill
For the first time ever, the Senate Appropriations Committee included a dedicated line item for pancreatic cancer in its version of the Defense spending bill. This is a direct result of your advocacy and a great step forward. The bill matches the House’s funding level, restoring $15 million for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP). We’re particularly grateful to the chair and vice chair of the Defense Subcommittee for their leadership.
Medical Research Funding Wins in Senate LHHS Bill
In a bipartisan rebuke of proposed cuts from the administration, the Senate Appropriations Committee prioritized medical research in its Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) bill. It included:
- $400 million increase for National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- $150 million increase for National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Oversight language aimed at protecting the structure and grant-making capacity of the NIH
We want to thank members of the Appropriations Committee for working in a bipartisan manner and are especially grateful to those members who voiced strong support during the markup, underscoring the power of Congress to protect critical research priorities.
Cautious Optimism – But Challenges Remain
You should feel energized by these victories and proud of the leadership role our community played. But it’s important to stay focused. The House and Senate are now recessed until September, and no final decisions have been made. NIH funding levels remain unstable, and past threats of cuts have already had chilling effects on research planning, staffing and long-term investments in science.
Your advocacy continues to matter. We’ve seen growing bipartisan concern about the administration’s proposed $18 billion cut to NIH. And senators are pressing for already-appropriated funds to be spent as Congress intended – we’re staying in close contact with their offices to reinforce our message. We’ll continue to push the House to follow the Senate’s lead as they prepare to mark up their version of the Labor-HHS-Education bill in September.
What’s Next
Momentum is on our side. PanCAN advocates will continue to meet and share their stories with key members of Congress, underscoring what cutting funding now means ending promising research during the August recess. We’ll be back in touch when the House takes up its Labor-HHS bill so you can let your representative know that strong, stable research funding must remain a national priority.
Again, thank you for your boldness. At a time when federal research funding is uncertain, you inspire so many with your action.
Now is not the time to take the foot of the gas – let’s keep the pressure on.
7/3/25 − You Helped Secure More Support of Increased Research Funding!
You helped the pancreatic cancer community take a big step forward in securing increased federal funding for research! Thanks to dedicated PanCAN advocates like you, 26 senators signed on to the bipartisan pancreatic cancer Dear Colleague letter urging increased funding for the dedicated Pancreatic Cancer Research Program in FY26!
This is a significant achievement in this budget climate, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you. You took action and showed lawmakers that pancreatic cancer research must remain a national priority − especially now that research is on the cusp of breakthroughs to help patients live.
There’s still a long road ahead − funding bills are currently being written in the House, but the Senate has not yet scheduled any of their bill markups. This means we don’t know yet when or how the Senate will respond as they draft their bills.
We’ll be sure to let you know when the next moment for action arrives − because your voices together continue to be the most powerful tool we have to drive progress.
For now, take a moment to celebrate this milestone. Twenty-six signatures is a meaningful show of bipartisan support − and a testament to what’s possible when we work together.
Thank you for changing the story of this disease.
6/13/25
Earlier this week we had the chance to report on the strong bipartisan support PanCAN advocates generated in the House for restoring the dedicated Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) in FY26 after its elimination in FY25. Today, we see the direct impact of that bipartisan support as the FY26 House Defense Appropriations bill includes $15 million for PCARP!
In today’s tough budget climate, restoring funding to FY24 levels is a major win – and a direct result of thousands of advocates who have contacted Congress in support of pancreatic cancer research funding over the past few months.
This is a huge step forward – but it’s not over yet.
Next, the bill heads to the full House for a vote. Additionally, the Senate still needs to propose and pass their version of the FY26 Defense Appropriations bill and then both chambers need to agree on the final version of the bill. Through all of that, the job of the PanCAN community is to make sure Congress knows how important it is to keep this funding in until the bill becomes law. We’ll need your continued support in the coming months to make that happen.
Thank you for raising your voice, pushing for change, and helping to deliver hope for everyone affected by this devastating disease. Let’s keep the momentum going!
6/10/25
Thanks to the incredible advocacy of PanCAN community members like you, 113 bipartisan members of the House signed on to the Sewell-J Joyce pancreatic cancer FY26 Dear Colleague letter to support not only restoring the dedicated Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) but increasing funding to $25 million. This is a tremendous milestone – especially in a new Congress with many new members – and it shows just how powerful your voices are on Capitol Hill!
Because of your actions, Congress is taking notice.
Next, the House Appropriations Committee will decide whether the FY26 Department of Defense spending bill they will send to the House floor for a vote will include PCARP funding. PanCAN advocates whose representatives serve on the relevant subcommittee are reaching out to those representatives, highlighting the strong bipartisan support to include PCARP in the bill and demand this funding be made a priority.
Even if you don’t live in a key district, you can still take action today. If your representative didn’t sign the letter, they will get a message reminding them of our priorities. And, if your representative did sign the letter, they’ll receive an automatic thank-you message. Every message helps amplify our voice.
This is an exciting and meaningful step towards restoring dedicated pancreatic cancer research funding, but we have more work ahead to achieve this and to protect critical investments at the National Cancer Institute, the largest funder of pancreatic cancer research in the world.
Your continued engagement will be essential. Together, we can change the future of this disease.
5/16/25 – Congress Must Restore & Increase Dedicated Pancreatic Cancer Research Funding in FY26
The pancreatic cancer community hit a major setback when FY25 funding for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) – the only federal program dedicated solely to researching pancreatic cancer – was eliminated. But, there’s still reason to be hopeful.
We recently learned that pancreatic cancer has been included as an eligible disease under the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP), so pancreatic cancer researchers have an opportunity to apply for this funding. It shows that Congress has been listening – and that your voice matters.
Still, this isn’t enough. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, and it demands dedicated, sustained and increased federal investment. That’s why we’re focused on restoring PCARP funding in FY26 – and growing it to $25 million.
Right now, a letter is circulating in the Senate that calls for this funding restoration. The more members who sign on, the stronger the message we send.
Help protect progress by getting your senators’ signatures on this letter. Sending our pre-written message is fast and easy – and your action could be the reason this funding gets restored! Share how you’ve been affected by pancreatic cancer and how much accelerating progress means to you by personalizing our pre-written message. Then, follow the prompt to call your members of Congress to make your voice literally heard!
5/8/25 Update
Federal research saves lives! Yesterday, PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman was joined by leading researchers Joseph Kim, MD, of UK Markey Cancer Center, Steven D. Leach, MD, of Dartmouth Cancer Center, and J. Bart Rose, MD, MAS, of UAB Department of Surgery Division of Surgical Oncology and delivered that message directly to Capitol Hill – on behalf of every individual affected by pancreatic cancer.
In response to the administration’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the elimination of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP), this group of experts voiced their concerns about the compounding devastation to pancreatic cancer research today and in the future.
They met with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to discuss the critical role federally funded cancer research has played in growing the research field, improving survival and the overall research ecosystem. We are seeing the return on investment, and our community cannot afford setbacks.
We urge Congress to sustain funding increases at the NIH, National Cancer Institute (NCI) and PCARP within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.
Congress must hear us: We expect action. We expect progress. And we will not back down.
5/2/2025 – The Administration’s Proposed Budget Cuts Threaten Critical Pancreatic Cancer Research
President Trump’s newly released FY26 budget proposes a devastating $17.5 billion or about 37% cut to the National Institutes of Health, which includes the National Cancer Institute.
This is a staggering reduction that will have a devastating impact on progress for pancreatic cancer. At a time when we should be advancing forward, these cuts will take us backward, jeopardizing the lives of patients today and in the future.
Congress has the power to stop this. But they need to hear from you. Contact your members of Congress today and tell them: Reject cuts to cancer research funding. Because when Congress doesn’t prioritize research, they fail all of you and your community.
Every dollar slashed is a setback for patients and their families. Behind the research are real people. These cuts don’t just affect labs – they affect lives.
It will take all of us together to make noise on Capitol Hill. PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman has already written a letter to Congress demanding that funding for cancer research be protected and increased – because patients can’t afford to wait.
4/11/25 – Tell your representative to support $25M in research funding!
FY25 funding has been eliminated from the only federal program exclusively researching pancreatic cancer – a program YOU helped create! We must fight to get that funding back in FY26 with an increase.
Right now, members of the U.S. House of Representatives are circulating a bipartisan letter that urges key decision-makers to reinstate Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) funding in the FY26 budget. The more representatives who sign, the stronger our message: Pancreatic cancer research urgently needs federal research investment.
Contact your representative today and urge them to sign this critical letter in support of $25 million for PCARP. A quick message might be what secures your rep’s support. To take an extra step, call your representative to really get the message across. Lawmakers won’t take action on this issue unless they hear from their constituents (that’s you!).
This is our moment to fight for lifesaving research. Let’s make it happen.
3/25/25 – Cuts Won’t Stop Us, We’re Not Giving Up
It’s not the news we wanted, but it’s news that will make our community fight harder than ever before. As it stands now, the impact of recent cuts to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) at the Department of Defense (DoD) means the only federal program dedicated exclusively to pancreatic cancer research will receive zero funding for FY25.
Here’s why this matters: Dedicated federal funding drives progress in early detection, better treatments, and hope for patients and families. Without Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) funding, progress it was fueling comes to a screeching halt.
But we’re not giving up – we’re working with our Congressional champions now and will be coming back with a bold ask for FY26, very soon.
3/14/25 – FY25 Budget Passes, Includes Cuts to Cancer Research – Our Fight Continues
Thank you for being part of a passionate community that mobilized in record time to defend and protect cancer research funding. Ultimately, like the House, the Senate approved the FY25 budget bill that includes cuts to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) by 57%.
We expect the CDMRP cuts will affect funding at the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP), but as of now, it is unclear by how much.
This was not the outcome we wanted, but as a community familiar with having to overcome obstacles, we will persist in our fight to protect and increase federal funding for pancreatic cancer research now and in the future.
PCARP only exists because of you and our community. It is still the only federal program that funds research exclusive to pancreatic cancer. Our powerful movement will continue to tell Congress that this funding is critical and needs consistent increases – because federal funding for cancer research saves lives.
Together, we’ll stay committed to demanding more from Congress for everyone affected by pancreatic cancer. And that means making bold asks.
Right now, PanCAN is engaging our champions in Congress to include a record-breaking amount of funding for PCARP in the FY26 budget. Because less is not an option when it affects the lives of those we love and want to see thrive.
There’s no stopping now.
3/12/25 – House Passes Budget, Includes Cuts to Cancer Research
Yesterday, the House passed an FY25 budget bill that slashes funding to the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program by 57%.
Research for pancreatic cancer is already woefully underfunded, and now the only program exclusively funding pancreatic cancer research is one step closer to devastating cuts.
The Senate will vote on the budget this week.
As a community focused on progress, we won’t stand idly by. Don’t let your senators fail science, patients and you.
3/10/25 – Tell Congress: Vote NO on Cuts to Pancreatic Cancer Research Funding
Congress is voting this week on a FY25 budget bill to fund the government that cuts cancer research funding for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) at the Department of Defense by more than 50%. These devastating cuts directly threaten innovative research happening at the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) – research that’s vital to help cure one of the deadliest cancers.
As part of our powerful community, contact your members of Congress and tell them to VOTE NO on cuts.
Research progress for pancreatic cancer is at a critical turning point. Recent breakthroughs targeting key mutations – impacting more than 90% of pancreatic cancer patients – offer unprecedented hope. These advancements have the potential to finally unlock new treatments that could save lives. But without sustained funding, this progress could come to a grinding halt.
The CDMRP has played a pivotal role in advancing life-saving research. Cutting this mission-driven program endangers future breakthroughs and jeopardizes the momentum researchers have worked tirelessly to build. For patients and families desperately awaiting new treatments, these cuts would be disastrous.
Congress must reject this proposal and instead pass a full-year FY25 Defense Appropriations Act that fully funds the CDMRP. For Congress, failing to support this critical research is failing constituents like you!
We urge you to act now. Lives are on the line, and progress cannot wait. Together, we can ensure that research continues, breakthroughs are achieved and hope remains alive for those facing pancreatic cancer.
02/24/25
Thanks to decades of sustained, predictable federal investments and increases in pancreatic cancer research, the research community is at a tipping point – 2024 saw record-breaking advancements in drug approvals, and patients today are three times more likely to survive than when PanCAN was founded in 1999.
But pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of just 13% – and future progress is now at risk.
The impact of recent executive actions on current and future pancreatic cancer research progress
Funding freezes, caps on Facilities and Administrative costs and other executive actions have already impacted the pancreatic cancer research community and threaten to dismantle the infrastructure that PanCAN and our community worked so hard to create over the past two decades.
Voices from the pancreatic cancer researcher community are sending a strong message: if these orders are allowed to stand, the consequences will be catastrophic. Today, we are sharing some of their concerns.
There has been a temporary freeze on federal research grants across various health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), disrupting ongoing projects and creating uncertainty about future funding.
“There are devastating stories coming out of Building 10 at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) where clinical trial participants were unable to enroll in trials,” said one scientist.
A researcher on the frontlines of pancreatic cancer breakthroughs put it bluntly: “Not getting this grant funded in a timely manner will massively impact our momentum on this very promising [new] treatment approach.”
An abrupt cap on Facilities and Administrative cost reimbursements for all NIH grants is a significant reduction in the investment in research. These costs are essential operational expenses such as maintenance of highly specialized labs, financial and legal compliance officers, chemical safety teams, etc. This cap is a cut to funding, hindering scientific progress by limiting institutions’ ability to conduct research.
One leading scientist described the impact: “Receiving a grant that covers salaries, supplies, services, and equipment is great, but I can’t perform that research in my living room.”
Another researcher said, “If the 15% [Facilities and Administrative] cost cap goes through, this will certainly decimate the foundation of academic medicine at many institutions and cancer centers.“
The Future of Pancreatic Cancer Research
These recent executive actions are causing confusion and uncertainty, jeopardizing funding for cancer centers doing critical research that would benefit patients and discouraging the next generation of researchers from staying in the field or finding institutions to support their work.
“A talented junior physician scientist is applying for a K01 grant. [There was] a request for additional information for council review. Status is now unclear and the program announcement has been removed.”
“[Some] NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers [that have] been recently approved for their five-year renewal, have still not received their funding even though their last five-year funding cycle ended in 2024. If not remedied immediately, this has the potential to profoundly compromise support for cancer patients, cancer research and cancer clinical trials.”
There has also been confusion for patients on whether they are able to enroll or participate in clinical trials, which hinders care at a critical time in their disease progression.
What You Can Do
This is not just a threat to funding – it is an obstruction of scientific progress. Patients cannot afford delays. Our community, the pancreatic cancer community, must act now.
PanCAN believes in comprehensive federal funding for cancer research – and Congress should, too! The fight against pancreatic cancer cannot – and must not – be stalled. Congress needs to hear your voice now.
