06.29.22

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $5.5 Million For Health Care Research In Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $5,505,820 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) biomedical research grants for Illinois institutions. The funding will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from neurological diseases to biological chemistry research.

“Federal investments in biomedical research lead to new jobs, new treatments, and new cures for the diseases and conditions that touch all our families in one way or another—whether it’s cancer or ALS or heart disease. Illinois’ world-class research institutions have played a critical role in medical advancement and treating devastating diseases, and this vital federal support will help continue that mission,” said Durbin.

“When we support biomedical research, we unlock opportunities to achieve transformative medical breakthroughs for all kinds of diseases and illnesses,” Duckworth said. “I’m pleased that, with help from the Department of Health and Human Services, these outstanding research centers in Illinois can continue their very important work, and I’ll keep doing what I can to ensure that our state remains a leader in medical research and development.” 

Recipients of HHS grants include:

  • University of Illinois: $1,047,330
  • Northwestern University: $490,568
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: $512,274
  • Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science: $287,968
  • University of Chicago: $384,999
  • University of Chicago: $408,845
  • University of Chicago: $287,000
  • University of Illinois at Chicago: $690,493
  • Southern Illinois University School of Medicine: $368,750
  • University of Chicago: $716,149
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: $311,444

In March 2021, Durbin introduced the American Cures Act, which would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. Over the last seven years, through the Appropriations process, Durbin has successfully worked on a bipartisan basis to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health by nearly 50 percent.

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