The Government Just Cut Dedicated Funding for Glioblastoma

Apr 1

Last week, the Department of Defense released its annual update on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), a powerful but often overlooked funding source for cancer research, including glioblastoma (GBM). The news? Devastating.

Due to a continuing resolution in Congress, the CDMRP’s overall budget was cut by 57%, and cancer-specific programs were slashed by 31%, a loss of $185 million in funding.

For glioblastoma, a fast-moving, aggressive brain cancer with no cure and few effective treatments, this decision is deeply concerning. In Fiscal Year 2024, the CDMRP allocated a dedicated $10 million line item to glioblastoma research. In Fiscal Year 2025, that line item was eliminated.

That means no dedicated CDMRP funding for GBM research this year.

While glioblastoma research can still receive support through broader federal programs like the NIH and NCI, there is currently no designated funding stream specifically for GBM in the FY25 federal budget.

This decision doesn’t just impact researchers, it impacts patients, caregivers, and anyone who has ever heard the words, “You have glioblastoma.”

At the Glioblastoma Research Organization, we remain committed to pushing forward, even when the system lets us down. We are building momentum through grassroots support, global awareness efforts, and direct funding for promising research initiatives. But we cannot do this alone.

If you’ve been impacted by GBM, or if you care about advancing research for one of the most devastating cancers out there, now is the time to act.

Watch an updated video explaining federal funding

donate to the glioblastoma research organization today

Every dollar helps us fund the future our loved ones deserve. Because even when the government says no to guaranteed funding, we will continue saying yes—to research, to hope, and to finding a cure.

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Sources:

CDMRP: Glioblastoma Research Program Overview (FY24–FY25 Status)

https://cdmrp.health.mil/gbmrp/default

CDMRP FY25 Appropriations Summary

https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2025/FY25_Appropriations.aspx

CDMRP FY24 GBMRP Stakeholders Meeting Summary

https://cdmrp.health.mil/gbmrp/pdfs/FY24%20GBMRP%20Stakeholders%20Meeting%20Summary%20and%20Gaps.pdf

Society for Neuro-Oncology Public Policy Update

https://www.soc-neuro-onc.org/WEB/WEB/About_Content/News_Pages/SNO_Public_Policy_Update.aspx

National Brain Tumor Society – “New Drugs for Patients with Brain Tumors: How Federal Funding Pays Off”

https://braintumor.org/news/new-drugs-for-patients-with-brain-tumors-how-federal-funding-pays-off/