Recent trends in National Institutes of Health funding for cerebral palsy lifespan research

Aim To determine the landscape of recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for cerebral palsy (CP)-related research regarding lifespan issues. Method This longitudinal study examined NIH funding for CP-related research between 2014 and 2023, particularly focusing on lifespan issues. We searched NIH databases Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Results, and Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization for keyword 'cerebral palsy'. We classified grants by type and area of study. Results From 2014 to 2023, CP NIH funding averaged US$22.7 million per year, not adjusted for inflation, for a total cost of US$226.7 million. This supported research pertaining to treatments/early interventions (51.0% of total), causes/mechanisms/risk factors (22.6%), and screening/early detection/diagnosis (9.6%). Infrastructure/surveillance funding was 6.6%, whereas services/implementation research received 7.9%. Funding for lifespan/adulthood CP research represented only 2.3% of funding. Annual NIH funding for CP increased steadily over the period from US$22.0 million in 2014 to US$24.8 million in 2023; however, funding focused on lifespan studies has been relatively unchanged, never rising above US$0.91 million. Interpretation While NIH funding for CP studies increased over the study period, lifespan studies have not. Additional research funds are needed to improve the clinical care and understanding of lifespan needs faced by individuals living with CP.