Another Milestone for Celiac Disease Research
For the third year in a row, access to funding for celiac disease research has been made available through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), specifically in the CDMRP’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP). Only 56 topic areas are eligible within Fiscal Year 2025’s PRMRP, and we are grateful that celiac disease is again one of the conditions eligible for funding.
Where We Started – A Growing Track Record of Success
Celiac disease was first eligible for PRMRP funding in Fiscal Year 2023, thanks to grassroots advocacy efforts raising awareness of celiac disease to Members of Congress. Approximately $6.6 million was awarded to two celiac disease research applications for celiac disease’s first year in the program, with seven compliant applications submitted. Fiscal Year 2024 again saw celiac disease included in the program, and $1.58 million was awarded to one research application with 14 compliant applications submitted.
Where We Are Today – An Uphill Battle for Progress
These past two years represent a tremendous amount of progress for celiac disease research – a testament to our community’s persistent advocacy and the growing recognition of the seriousness of this chronic autoimmune disease. This prime opportunity for celiac disease researchers to access additional and coveted federal research dollars has been successfully realized after several years of work on Capitol Hill by the Celiac Disease Foundation, our Congressional champions, and our committed patient and research advocates.
Making this year’s PRMRP list of diseases and topic areas is no guarantee of making next year’s list. If celiac disease does not generate compelling proposals that fit the program’s mandate this fiscal year, or if Members of Congress don’t hear from their constituents about the importance of celiac disease research, there’s no assurance that celiac disease will continue its eligibility in the PRMRP. And with ongoing federal cuts to medical research including the PRMRP, it’s more important than ever to continue raising awareness about the importance of this program and why celiac disease needs to remain a priority.
Fighting for Our Community
For those living with celiac disease, continued access to PRMRP funding represents hope and progress toward a better future. Securing this eligibility provides researchers with more opportunities to study this serious disease and pursue innovative approaches to treatment and diagnosis, and ultimately, a cure.
But these efforts mean more than just the funding. Recognition of celiac disease in the PRMRP signals to patients that they are not ignored — that their daily struggles are being seen and addressed at the highest levels of government. This milestone represents the power of grassroots advocacy, and it would not be possible without the years of hard work from our advocates across the country.
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