By Bill Thomas | March 16th
Over the last year, the pediatric cancer community has weathered more than its fair share of bad news in regards to federal support for childhood cancer research, from the abrupt removal of several key provisions from the U.S. government’s 2025 spending bill, to the institution of a 15% cap on indirect cost reimbursements for National Institute of Health grants, to the termination of federal funding for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC).
We now have the chance to report on some good news. Just this past month, the U.S. Senate passed its 2026 spending bill, which contains a number of landmark pediatric cancer provisions. These landmark provisions include…
- The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act, which advances the study of combination therapies in pediatric cancer.
- The Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act, which streamlines the approval of providers treating out-of-state children on Medicaid and CHIP.
- A five-year reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program, which incentivizes the development of new treatments for rare childhood diseases including pediatric cancers.
- $7.35 billion for the National Cancer Institute (an increase of $128 million over from 2025), including an appropriation for $30 million for the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and $50 million for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative.
- $12.6 Million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Program at NIH.
- $165 million for the Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program (an increase of $35 million from 2025), as well as inclusion of neuroblastoma and other pediatric cancers as diseases eligible for study.
- $2 million for pediatric cancer registries at the Center for Disease Control.
While these provisions can’t undo the significant setbacks and lasting damage caused by the devastating funding cuts of the previous year, they nevertheless represent a meaningful step forward for the pediatric cancer community. Furthermore, this news should serve as a reminder that we all have a voice, and as long as we continue to make our voices heard and advocate for childhood cancer research, we are capable of affecting positive change.
At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that only 4% of all federally allocated cancer research funds go towards childhood cancer research. The vast majority of funding support for childhood cancer research comes not only from the government but from private donors and organizations like Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.
If you would like to help us continue driving pediatric cancer research forward, please consider becoming a donor. To stay up-to-date with all the latest news shaping the future of pediatric cancer treatment, don’t forget to follow the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation Profectus blog.