(P12-007-25) Support of Oncology focused Nutrition Research at the National Institutes of Health: A Focus on the National Cancer Institute

Objectives: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports various nutritional science activities from educational and training opportunities to basic and translational research to career development and clinical trials. Oncology nutrition research is supported across NIH, focusing on National Cancer Institute (NCI) research for fiscal years (FY) 2019-2021.

Methods: Data was obtained by searching “nutrition” as a "categorical" spending code in NIH RePORTER for FY 2019-2021.

Results: Between Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-2021, NIH investment in extramural and intramural nutrition research and training awards has grown from $1.931 billion in FY 2019 to $2.065 billion in FY 2021 including intramural research conducted in the NIH Clinical Center. In FY2021, NIH nutritional science research expenditures supported 4,736 research projects totaling over $2.065 billion with NCI supporting 376 research projects, including intramural research, research centers, training, and contracts totaling $154.938 million. The NIH overlapping nutrition research spending categories were classified as prevention, obesity, clinical research, and behavioral and social sciences research. Disease prevention, obesity, and clinical research projects comprised the top 3 spending categories. Biomedical and behavioral-based research supporting institutional and individual awards remained stable across FY 2019-2021.

Conclusions: Of the NIH’s 24 Institutes and Centers supporting nutrition research, the NCI, along with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute on Aging (NIA), and National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Disease (NIDDK), collectively represent over half of all NIH support of nutritional science training and research awards. See https://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide for additional research funding opportunity updates.

Funding Sources: DHHS, NIH, NCI