The Department of Defense (DoD) Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program was
appropriated $50 million in the Defense Appropriations Bill that the
President signed in mid- November. The Mesothelioma Applied Research
Foundation (Meso Foundation) is excited to announce that, for the first
time, mesothelioma will be included as a research priority within the DoD's
Medical Research Program, to begin February 2008. As a candidate research
area within the program, mesothelioma investigators are eligible to compete
for funding through the program's 2008 grant cycle.
"The Meso Foundation has been working with fifteen senators, led by
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), advocating the federal government to respond to
the mesothelioma crisis through a commitment of new federal research
dollars," said Chris Hahn, Executive Director of The Meso Foundation. "Our
advocacy efforts in this area for the past several years finally paid off."
Federal medical research projects must be of clear scientific merit and
have direct relevance to military health. Military relevance is a key
feature of the Investigator-Initiated award, a connection that will not be
difficult for mesothelioma researchers to establish for their grant
applications.
There is a long history of asbestos exposure in military service, and a
significant elevated risk of mesothelioma in the military population. In
fact, approximately one third of mesothelioma cases have been shown to
involve Navy and shipyard exposures. Given the long latency of the disease,
even if exposures are reduced, mesothelioma will continue to affect the
veteran and military population for decades to come.
This funding opportunity can serve as a vital resource to the meso
community and is another crucial step toward advancing the research and
treatment of mesothelioma. The Meso Foundation strongly encourages
mesothelioma investigators to consider submitting applications for funding
in 2008, as the interest and engagement shown by the community will likely
be a factor in whether mesothelioma is included as a candidate in future
years.
source:http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-23-2008/0004741829&EDATE=
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