Advocacy update: FY2026 Defense Budget 

In fiscal year 2025, the funding for the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) was decreased from its fiscal year 2024 level of $370 million to $150 million. We’re hopeful that the fiscal year 2026 Defense Budget will bring back full funding and once again include peripheral neuropathy as a condition that can be researched. 

What’s happening now 

At the end of July, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the 2026 Defense Appropriations Act. Their version brings PRMRP funding back up to $370 million and adds peripheral neuropathy back to the list of conditions that can be studied.  

This is good news! But it is not final yet. The full Senate will vote on it in September. After that, the Senate and House of Representatives will work together to agree on a final version of the budget by December. 

Why this matters: Peripheral neuropathy research 

In 2020, Congress added peripheral neuropathy to the list of health conditions that could be studied through the PRMRP. This happened because of strong support from the peripheral neuropathy community and the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. 

Since then, Congress has continued to support peripheral neuropathy research, but it’s not automatic. People need to keep speaking up every year to make sure this important research stays funded. 

Learn more 

To read more about our advocacy work and see which projects have received funding, visit FPN’s advocacy webpage.