Published November 17, 2020 | As we look to the new year, the PKD Foundation is excited to announce the inclusion of PKD research funding in the latest round of spending bills in Congress.

On Tuesday, November 10, the Senate Appropriation Committee unveiled a set of bills to fund the government through fiscal year 2021. Once again, PKD is included as a designated research topic of the Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), a grant mechanism managed by the Department of Defense. The PRMRP is being funded at $370 million for fiscal year 2021.

2021 U.S. Federal Spending Bill

PKD is one of 50 designated research topics eligible for funding through the PRMRP. Each year, the PKD Foundation must advocate with its Senate champions for continued inclusion in PRMRP. Earlier this year, eight grants totaling more than $14 million were recommended for funding under the grant mechanism. Since 2014, the Department of Defense program has funded more than $34 million in PKD-specific research. You can find the full list of research areas on page 236 of the Senate Defense Appropriations Bill, FY 2021.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was directed to update the Chronic Kidney Surveillance System with renewed data on PKD in the U.S. The Surveillance System last surveyed the prevalence and outcomes of PKD in 2007.

“The Committee recognizes the work of CDC’s CKD Surveillance System which reports on the burden of CKD, including risk factors in the U.S. population over time, and monitors the progress of efforts to prevent, detect, and manage CKD. The Committee requests an update in the fiscal year 2022 CJ on the incidence, prevalence, epidemiology, and health outcomes of polycystic kidney disease.” Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Bill, 2021; Page 67

PKD Program Commendations

Finally, the Appropriations Committee commended the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) for two PKD-related programs and encouraged NIDDK to continue working toward the development of new therapeutic strategies with new and existing partner stakeholders.

“The Committee commends NIDDK for its continued commitment to Polycystic Kidney Disease Research and Translation Centers, and the Pediatric Centers of Excellence in Nephrology, both of which improve our understanding of the causes of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. The Committee continues to encourage NIDDK to work with stakeholders to facilitate new opportunities for research and promote the development of new therapeutic strategies.” Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Bill, 2021; Page 92

To learn more about these programs and how you can get involved in the PKD Foundation’s government advocacy, visit our the advocacy section of our website.