Albany, NY - September 29, 2015 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $3 million in prostate cancer research funding has been awarded to 20 research institutions across the state to explore new and innovative concepts in prostate cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. Prostate cancer remains the second most common cancer among men in New York State.
"This form of cancer affects thousands of New Yorkers each year and ongoing research remains our best avenue to fight, treat and ultimately eradicate it," Governor Cuomo said. "Empowering New York’s premier research facilities to select their own innovative avenues for research has great potential for further advancing our understanding of this deadly disease."
Each awardee will now conduct their own procedure for determining which of its potential research projects will be funded. During the application process, institutions were required to demonstrate their institution’s commitment to prostate cancer research, their ability to implement research and provide a description of their process selecting which research projects would be funded. Some described multi-level peer review of research proposals by experts in the field, others described competitive application and review processes.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, "We are pleased to see that so many institutions in New York are committed to research into prostate cancer, which continues to be a leading killer of men. Anything we can do to advance our understanding of this complex disease will help ease that burden."
These awards not only aim to build upon New York State's history as the home to many important discoveries relating to the prevention and treatment of cancer, but also help enable these institutions to establish a foundation of research that can open up future funding opportunities from entities such as the National Institutes of Health or the Department of Defense.
The following institutions will receive between $450,000 and $75,000 for up to two years:
$450,000 during a two-year period:
- Health Research, Inc. on behalf of Roswell Park Cancer Institute
- Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research
- The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
$300,000 during a two-year period:
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Yeshiva University on behalf of Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- New York University School of Medicine
$75,000 for a 15-month period:
- The Research Foundation for State University of New York (SUNY) College at Old Westbury
- The Research Foundation of City University of New York on behalf of Hunter College
- University of Rochester
- Narrows Institute for Biomedical Research and Education, Inc., on behalf of the Veterans Administration of New York, Harbor Healthcare System
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University
- The Research Foundation for SUNY at Binghamton University
- Albany Research Institute, Inc. on behalf of Stratton Veterans Administration Medical Center
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute
- Riverside Research Institute
- The Research Foundation for SUNY on behalf of the University at Albany
- The Research Foundation for SUNY Upstate Medical University
- The Research Foundation of CUNY on behalf of the City College of New York
- The Research Foundation for SUNY on behalf of SUNY Downstate Medical Center
- Fordham University
Prostate cancer is second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer among men in New York. An estimated 1 in 6 men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime. The disease occurs mostly in men aged 65 and older.
Men diagnosed with prostate cancer who are uninsured may be eligible for treatment through the New York State Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program. For more information visit here
For more information about prostate cancer visit here