Your Advocacy in Action: The Road to Increased Federal Research Funding

The federal government funds nearly 80% of all pancreatic cancer research. For pancreatic cancer - one of the deadliest cancers with a five-year survival rate stuck at 13% - federal investment is the backbone of progress.

Sustained, predictable and robust support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program advance quality science that saves lives as these investments focus on research in earlier detection tools, innovative clinical trials and desperately needed treatments for patients.

We know our advocacy works.

In FY26, the PanCAN community - that's you! - raised its voice and Congress listened. Lawmakers rejected proposed cuts and instead delivered increases for cancer research funding. That victory was not accidental. It was the direct result of passionate people contacting their members of Congress and demanding action.

It's a new fiscal year for the federal government. So now, we must do it again.

In addition to protecting and increasing NIH and NCI funding, there is something we can do now. We are urging strong support for a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter circulating in the House that calls for $25 million for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program at the Department of Defense.

Securing signatures on this letter is critical to ensuring continued, dedicated investment in pancreatic cancer research - and that only happens when Congress hears directly from us.

The stakes are too high for silence.

We proved in FY26 that when we act together, we change the story. Let's re-engage, reach out to our members of Congress and fight for the funding patients deserve.

Take action today.