Providence, RI – 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 $19,235,350 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help Rhode Island-based researchers, including Brown University; 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 heart and vascular disease to research related to cancer, childhood immunizations, mental health care, neurological disorders, and more.
“Rhode Island is home to a number of excellent hospitals and research universities. 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 senior member of the Appropriations Committee. “I will continue working at the federal level to fund pioneering medical research, strengthen public health, and promote hope and healing.”
“Rhode Island’s world-class hospitals and research institutions work every day to help Rhode Islanders lead longer, healthier lives,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This latest round of funding will provide a significant boost to local research programs that will benefit our state for generations.”
“Investing in medical research will help advance medical breakthroughs, develop innovative treatments and find cures that will save lives and keep Rhode Islanders healthy,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “This federal funding will go toward finding solutions that will improve the quality of life and well-being of people across our state.”
“These federal investments from the Department of Health and Human Services will help turbocharge medical breakthroughs and advancements in the Ocean State,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “Whether it’s the child of a parent undergoing chemotherapy, the families of those we have lost to the opioid epidemic, or Rhode Islanders with a family history of heart disease, today’s announcement underscores that our government can be here to help. I thank my colleagues for their steadfast work to secure these federal investments as we deliver for the residents who call our state home.”
The fiscal year 2024 appropriations law included $116.8 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and targeted increases to propel life-saving and lifechanging cures and treatments, including: a $75 million increase for mental health research; a $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research; a $120 million increase for cancer research; a $5 million increase for opioid research; $12.5 million for a new palliative care research program; and a $10 million increase for diabetes research.
Recipients of HHS grants related to medical research include:
Rhode Island Department of Health: $3,453,142 for Overdose Data to Action in States
Rhode Island Department of Health: $3,415,129 for Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention
Rhode Island Department of Health: $3,299,836 for Immunization and Vaccines for Children
Brown University: $1,399,182 to study Early Developmental Risk for Adult Cardiovascular Disease: High risk Subgroups, Biomarkers, and Mechanisms
Brown University: $1,214,295 to advance Proteomics Research in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Department of Health: $1,144,760 for Hospital Preparedness Program
Rhode Island Department of Health: $1,086,030 for High-Impact HIV Prevention and Surveillance Programs
Brown University: $795,923 for Clinical Research Related to Neurological Disorders
Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services: $500,000 for Expanding Capacity to Support School-Based Health Services
Miriam Hospital: $499,002 for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National
Rhode Island Department of Health: $473,228 for Advancing Health Equity in Asthma Control through EXHALE
Brown University: $385,577 for Aging Research
Brown University: $329,616 for Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry Research
Brown University: $319,000 for Defining rates of cognitive aging in adults with and without dementia using the CODA cohort
University of Rhode Island: $236,250 to study Novel Knock-in mtDNA Mouse Model to Study Mitochondrial Dysfunction (neurometabolic disorders)
Brown University: $215,553 for Mental Health Research Grant Programs
Brown University: $164,639 for Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research
Rhode Island Hospital: $150,000 to study Cross-Cutting Trauma-Informed Peer Aggression and Dating Violence Prevention for Preteens Receiving Intensive Mental Health Services
University of Rhode Island: $51,227 to study College Health Provider Attitudes and Practices Regarding HPV Vaccine
