- December 20, 2024
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Catalin - stock.adobe.com
About $190 million in the state budget for the next fiscal year will go toward cancer research and care, as Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on the state spending plan Thursday.
The bulk of the cancer-related funding — roughly $111.6 million — will go toward the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program.
Speaking during a bill-signing event in Fort Pierce Tuesday, the governor highlighted that the overall cancer funding will be dispersed among numerous entities.
“My wife has really spearheaded that,” DeSantis said. “I think she’s smart about, you know, the same old stuff, giving it to the same people. … We want to have more competition for this money. And we want people who are willing to innovate and maybe think outside the box a little bit.”
The governor’s office announced in 2021 that Casey DeSantis had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
DeSantis’ office in March 2022 said that the First Lady was cancer-free. All cancer centers that receive funding through the Casey Desantis Cancer Research program will be required to submit data to the state about new cancer diagnoses and cancer recurrence.
A number of cancer research entities also are poised to get millions of dollars in funding through the budget.
The Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute is in line to receive nearly $20.6 million, and the William G. "Bill" Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research Program will get $10 million.
The plan also steers $4 million to the Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation.
The budget also includes $20 million for grants intended to “support innovative cancer research, including emerging research trends and promising practices, which can serve as a catalyst for further exploration.”
