Last year, multiple sclerosis (MS) activists were responsible for helping to secure funding for MS research programs through the Department of Defense (DoD). Advocacy played a crucial role in getting MS listed, for the first time, in the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) for the FY08 Defense bill.
The PRMRP is a competitive program that funds research initiatives that prove scientific merit and a direct relevance to the health of individuals connected to the military. In FY08, MS was listed for the first time as eligible to compete among other research causes for funding under this program. This promising opportunity resulted in three awards being approved for MS research, which demonstrates the huge need and interest for greater research in this area.
The investigators that have been awarded are:
- Heather Wishart, Dartmouth College
- Larry Sherman, Oregon Health & Science University
- Ernesto Bongarzone, University of Illinois
For more information on these research rewards, please visit: http://cdmrp.army.mil/prmrp/awards/08iiraawards.htm
