NH Delegation Announces $712K in Federal Funding to Support Type 1 Diabetes Research
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) today announced the award of $712,837 in federal funding to Dartmouth College’s Center for Technology and Behavioral Health in support of the first year of a five-year research study to test new ways to better treat and control type 1 diabetes. Specifically, the funding will be used in support of a study led by Dr. Catherine Stanger, Principal Investigator, that will use new digital tools to support behavioral changes that will help young people with Type 1 Diabetes follow a complicated medical regimen and achieve better health outcomes. The funding will be distributed by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). NIDDK is housed under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“More than 30 million Americans live with diabetes, which is why investing in research to improve treatment and care for this condition – and ultimately to find a cure – must be a top health care priority in this country,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m glad to see this federal grant awarded to Dartmouth, which will allow researchers to test exciting, new digital tools that will help young Americans with type one diabetes better control this disease and live healthier lives. This funding is an indication of not only the shared concern that we need to invest more in diabetes research, but also a testament to the groundbreaking work done every day at Dartmouth. As co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Diabetes Caucus, I’ll continue to support measures that help Americans live healthier lives, and won’t stop fighting until we find a cure.”
“I am pleased that Dartmouth will receive this federal funding to advance innovative research that could help young Americans who have diabetes,” said Senator Hassan. “Research like this can help to improve quality of life and, ultimately, medical outcomes for countless patients. I will continue to work with our New Hampshire Congressional Delegation to support federal funding for research projects like this one.”
“Type 1 Diabetes is a serious disease that can be difficult and expensive to manage,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “This funding will help invest in research in digital health, which has the potential to improve outcomes of people with the disease and lower costs associated with care. I’m pleased to join my colleagues to announce this funding and I will continue working to secure resources to support the health and wellbeing of Granite Staters.”
“I’m pleased that Dartmouth will receive these funds that will help millions of Americans living with diabetes,” said Congressman Pappas. “This grant will support efforts to better treat and control diabetes, and it is an important part of national research efforts that hold tremendous promise to improve lives and health outcomes.”
“I am thrilled to be receiving this award and leading this project. I am grateful to the NIH for their support of this work since 2012, and look forward to leading this national project where we will reach out directly to young adults with type 1 diabetes to support them in learning to better manage this complex and challenging condition,” said Catherine Stanger, the Principal Investigator of this study, Dartmouth College.
As co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has led legislative efforts that invest in treatment, prevention and research to find a cure for diabetes. A senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Shaheen has championed greater investments in biomedical research for diabetes and strongly supported $2.2 billion—an $84.4 million increase—for the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disorders in government funding legislation that was signed into law in December. Shaheen has consistently pressed to hold insulin manufacturers, insurers and PBMs accountable for the skyrocketing cost of life-saving insulin, introducing legislation, the Insulin Price Reduction Act, to roll back more than a decade of insulin price hikes. Last March, Shaheen reintroduced her bill with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to expand access to diabetes self-management training, and last June, led the bipartisan push in the Senate to ensure continued support for the Special Diabetes Program. In response to Shaheen’s efforts, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) first approved the use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in January 2017 and allowed Medicare beneficiaries to use smartphone apps in conjunction with continuous glucose monitors in June 2018.
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