Senator Collins Announces Historic Funding Increases for Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, and Other Biomedical Research

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the Senate approved a $2.6 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—bringing total funding for the NIH to $41.7 billion—as part of the appropriations package.  The legislation is expected to be signed into law by the President this evening.

As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and the Chairman of the Aging Committee, Senator Collins is a champion for greater investments in biomedical research. 

“There is simply no investment that promises greater returns for America than our investment in biomedical research.  Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, with their devastating human and financial costs, are powerful examples of the urgent need to keep our momentum in research funding going,” said Senator Collins. “I am so encouraged that Congress worked in a bipartisan way to provide this transformative funding that will bring tangible hope to so many Americans.”

The appropriations bill provides $2.8 billion for Alzheimer’s research, a $350 million increase over last year.

This funding builds on significant increases Senator Collins, a founder of the Alzheimer’s Task Force in the Senate, has secured in recent years.  It also meets the funding level the NIH estimates it will need to find a means of effectively treating or preventing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias within six years.  Senator Collins co-authored the National Alzheimer’s Project Act in 2011, which set the national goal of preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by the year 2025. 

In addition. the appropriations bill includes $26.5 million for the Alzheimer’s Disease Program at the Administration for Community Living, a $3 million increase over last year, and $15.5 million for the CDC’s Alzheimer’s Programs, a $10 million increase. This includes $10 million for the implementation of the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, legislation Senator Collins authored to create a public health infrastructure to combat this disease.

The appropriations bill provides $2.1 billion for the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disorders at NIH, an increase of $81.8 million over last year. 

Since founding the diabetes caucus in 1997, Senator Collins has successfully worked to substantially increase funding for diabetes research. 

The appropriations bill also provides $27.3 million for the National Diabetes Prevention Program at CDC, a $2 million increase.