Federal Funding for
PKD Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the nation’s largest public funder of biomedical research and the primary federal source of funding for polycystic kidney disease (PKD) research. Within NIH, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) supports the majority of federally funded PKD research through investigator-initiated grants, research centers, and clinical studies.

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP)

Home to the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), an important source of federal funding for PKD research.

Established by Congress in 1992, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) manages competitive biomedical research programs within the Department of Defense (DoD).

Administered by the DoD, the CDMRP supports research that benefits service members, veterans, military families, and the broader public. Through the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program, the CDMRP has become an important source of federal investment in PKD research.

The bipartisan PKD Cures Act (H.R. 9169) is the first federal legislation focused exclusively on advancing research for polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

The legislation would strengthen NIH’s commitment to PKD research by expanding research efforts, improving collaboration across the scientific community, supporting more effective clinical trials, and establishing a coordinated long-term federal research strategy.

It also requires the NIH to develop a long-term research roadmap to guide federal investment, accelerate scientific discovery and the development of new treatments while moving the field closer to a cure.