# Current trends in the allocation of National Institute of Health funding of brain tumor research

## TL;DR

This study analyzed NIH funding for brain tumor research from 2000 to 2023, revealing that most money went to glioblastoma and brain metastases, while less aggressive tumors received far less.

## Contribution

The paper provides a detailed analysis of NIH funding distribution across different brain tumor types over 23 years.

## Key findings

- Glioblastoma received 51% of total NIH funding for brain tumor research.
- Brain metastases received 29% of total funding, despite being less aggressive than glioblastoma.
- Less aggressive tumors like meningioma received only 20% of total funding.

## Abstract

The National Institute of Health (NIH) provides a sizable annual budget toward brain tumor research. However, funding allocation for specific pathologies remains poorly described. We aimed to characterize the current landscape of NIH funding toward brain tumors as a function of pathology.

NIHRePORTER was queried to identify studies focused on glioblastoma, pediatric glioma, oligodendroglioma, brain metastasis, meningioma, pituitary adenoma, and vestibular schwannoma, from 2000 to 2023. Studies with R, U, and P funding mechanisms were included. Data were compiled and assessed according to pathology.

Across these 7 tumors, 3320 unique studies with R, U, or P funding mechanisms were identified from 2000 to 2023. These were conducted across 480 unique institutions. The sum of funds allocated to all studies was $1 607 662 631. Glioblastoma commanded the largest portion of funds, representing 54% of R mechanisms, 55% of R01-funded studies, 48% of U mechanisms, and 49% of P mechanisms, and accounted for 51% ($813 556 423) of total funding. Brain metastasis was the second most-funded tumor, representing 31% of all R mechanisms, 31% of all R01-funded studies, 26% of all U mechanisms, and 28% of all P mechanisms, and accounted for 29% ($472 715 745) of funding. The remaining 14% of R mechanisms, 26% of U mechanisms, and 23% of P mechanisms focused on the remaining pathologies, and accounted for 20% ($321 390 463) of funding.

The current landscape of NIH funding for brain tumor research indicates that awarded mechanisms prioritize malignant intra-axial malignancies. Despite their prevalence, skull base neoplasia is far less represented in NIH-funded studies.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocates a large amount of funding each year to support brain tumor research. The authors of this study wanted to understand how the money is allocated to study the different types of brain tumors. To do this, they reviewed ~3300 research projects that were supported by the NIH from 2000 to 2023 and determined whether the funding was provided to study glioblastoma, brain metastases, meningioma, and/or other types of brain tumors. Their results showed that the NIH provided more than $1.6 billion in funding during this period. More than half of this amount ($813 million) went toward research projects on glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain cancer. Nearly, one-third ($473 million) was directed to research studies on brain metastases, which are cancers from elsewhere in the body that spread to the brain. Less aggressive brain tumors, such as meningiomas which are relatively common and can significantly affect the quality of life, received far less funding.