Flat Funding Stalled Cancer Research Trials
Stagnant financial support for NCI-sponsored studies has slowed down patient enrollment and site participation.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Cancer
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Should the federal government increase funding for NCI-sponsored cancer clinical trials?
Funding for clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute has remained unchanged for over two decades. This stagnation has caused many research facilities to become reluctant to open new NCI-backed studies.
Why it matters
Clinical sites are struggling to balance their research portfolios, often prioritizing pharmaceutical-sponsored studies to offset the costs of underfunded NCI trials. This shift threatens to delay the progress of vital phase 2 and phase 3 cancer research.
Funding for NCI-sponsored clinical trials has been flat for 20 years, creating a significant barrier to maintaining operational capacity at designated research centers. These trials typically represent critical phase 2 or phase 3 study arms.
The players
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training.
The details
Facilities rely on Cancer Center Support Grants to maintain their designation, yet the lack of growth in trial funding forces centers to rely on pharmaceutical partners to remain solvent. Without increased investment, experts warn that the recruitment of new research sites and patient enrollment rates will continue to decline.
Timeline
September 24-25, 2026: The Patient-Centered Oncology Care 2026 conference was held in Nashville.
Health Landscape
The current funding impasse contradicts the goals established by Cancer Center Support Grants, which are designed to anchor elite oncological research. This disconnect marks a departure from the historical priority of fully funding federally backed phase 2 and phase 3 trials.
The slowdown in trial enrollment means patients may face fewer options for accessing innovative, experimental treatments locally. While pharmaceutical-sponsored studies may provide alternative paths, the decline in federally backed trials could narrow the scope of research available to the public.
The takeaway
Advocates suggest that increasing federal funding is the only viable path to accelerating patient enrollment and site participation in critical studies. Patients and caregivers should discuss available clinical trial options with their oncology teams to identify potential research paths.
Further reading
Learn more about federal research efforts at the United States Cancer section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ajmc.
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Should the federal government increase funding for NCI-sponsored cancer clinical trials?
