Good news! A bill was recently passed by both the U.S. House and Senate (by unanimous consent), and signed into law by President Bush, which provides an additional, mandatory supplemental expenditure of $750 million over 5 years earmarked for Type 1 diabetes research. This means an additional $150 million per year for 2004 - 2008 (extending the current $100 million per year that concludes in 2003). The bill also provides $750 million for diabetes treatment and prevention programs for the Native American population.

Congratulations to UCSF Leadership Council Member Bob Klein for his work on this initiative and to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for their extraordinary lobbying effort.

This legislation is outstanding news for the entire diabetes research community. To truly take advantage of these additional NIH dollars, we at the UCSF Diabetes Center must continue to build our infrastructure...finish paying off the Islet & Cellular Transplantation Facility plus recruit and fund the most talented researchers and clinicians in the areas of islet transplantation, stem cell, gene therapy and type 1 prevention. With a strong infrastructure in place that includes the brightest staff and cutting edge, state-of-the-art lab facilities, UCSF can apply for grants to fund various research initiatives and clinical trial programs. On average, for every $1 spent on funding infrastructure, UCSF can apply for as much as $5 in federally funded grants.

With this latest legislative success, we are more committed than ever to make sure we build our infrastructure to take advantage of these federal dollars. Your support of the Diabetes Center at UCSF will allow us to continue to build our infrastructure plus conduct the research needed to bring us closer to a cure. Every gift helps! To make your tax-deductible gift, please visit our donation website. Please designate your gift to "The Diabetes Center" or contact Linda Buck at 415-476-3953.