Whitehouse, Reed, Magaziner, & Amo Announce $18 Million for RI Medical Research

WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to boost public health and further medical research, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today announced $18,078,715 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help Rhode Island-based researchers, including Brown University; the University of Rhode Island (URI); the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH); and other Ocean State institutions to advance science, medicine, and health care.

A large portion of the federal funding will be used by universities and hospitals, as well as RIDOH, to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from biomedical research to diabetes and lung diseases to research related to aging, childhood development, mental health care, substance use, addiction, neurological disorders, and more.

"Rhode Island's hospitals and higher education institutions are at the forefront of cutting-edge medical research and discoveries," said Senator Whitehouse. "This federal funding will help the Ocean State pursue groundbreaking cures and treatments for generations to come."

"Investing in Rhode Island's innovative researchers and growing the state's research capacity helps discover new cures and treatments, improves health care, and saves lives," said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee. "I will continue working at the federal level to protect and expand investments that help advance pioneering medical research, strengthen public health, and promote hope and healing."

"Research happening in Rhode Island, driven by talented innovators across the Ocean State, is advancing medical breakthroughs and saving lives," said Magaziner. "I am proud to work with my colleagues in the congressional delegation to ensure our state can continue to be a hub for medical research."

"This investment in medical research will fuel discovery in our state and help keep Rhode Islanders healthy for generations to come," said Congressman Amo. "I'm proud to work alongside my colleagues in the federal delegation to invest in health research, support local researchers, and ensure medical innovation continues to flourish across our state."

The fiscal year 2026 appropriations law included $116.6 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and targeted investments to propel life-saving and lifechanging cures and treatments, including: $5.5 billion for mental health research; $3.9 billion for Alzheimer's disease research; $7.4 billion for cancer research, including $30 million for Senator Reed's Childhood Cancer STAR Act; $1.6 billion for opioid research; and $2.3 billion for diabetes research.

Recipients of HHS grants related to medical research include:

Brown University: $1,873,288 for Aging Research

Brown University: $1,348,042 for Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs

Brown University: $1,283,789 for Alcohol Research Programs

Brown University: $1,237,515 for Pharmacology Physiology and Biological Chemistry Research

Miriam Hospital: $1,230,244 for Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs

Rhode Island Executive Office of Health & Human Services: $1,168,613 for National Training and Technical Assistance

Rhode Island Department of Health: $1,083,848 for Family Planning Services

Tri-County Community Action Agency: $1,046,526 for Health Center Program

Brown University: $1,042,549 to study Mental Health

Brown University: $791,611 to study Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Rhode Island Hospital: $734,814 for Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs

Brown University: $672,899 for Lung Diseases Research

University of Rhode Island: $567,224 for Aging Research

Brown University: $478,722 for Clinical Research related to Neurological Disorders

Rhode Island Department of Health: $467,030 for Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Partnership to Promote Local Efforts to Reduce Environmental Exposure

Brown University: $385,598 for Mothers and Children Research

Women & Infants Hospital: $385,000 for Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research

Miriam Hospital: $376,322 for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolic Research

Rhode Island Executive Office of Health & Human Services: $371,284 for Aids Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Relief

Women & Infants Hospital: $195,480 for Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolic Research

Bradley Hospital: $183,914 to study Mental Health

Bradley Hospital: $169,696 for Mothers and Children Research

Butler Hospital: $165,987 for Mental Health Research

Rhode Island Department of Health: $164,888 for State Primary Care Offices

Rhode Island Department of Health: $136,502 for Maternal and Child Health Services

Bradley Hospital: $118,482 for Children's Graduate Medical Education Program

Rhode Island Hospital: $80,224 for Allergy Immunology and Transplantation Research

Rhode Island Department of Health: $77,537 for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention

Rhode Island Department of Health: $68,511 for Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Partnership

Rhode Island Department of Health: $66,580 for Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) State Systems Development Initiative

Thundermist Health Center: $55,882 National Training and Technical Assistance

Brown University: $50,114 for Biological Research Related to Deafness and Communicative Disorders