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Special Sources of Funds

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)

As a result of the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (PL 99-502), government laboratories are authorized to enter into Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with private sector entities. Under a CRADA, the NIH laboratory can provide personnel, services, facilities, equipment, or other resources and the collaborator can provide funds, personnel, services, facilities, equipment or other material and/or technical resources. Importantly, the CRADA provides the non-Federal party the option to negotiate an exclusive license to the resultant CRADA Subject Invention(s). The CRADA is the primary legal mechanism the Federal government has to convey such rights in advance of an invention. The agreement has no mandatory length but often are written for 1 to 3 years, renewable at the mutual agreement of the parties.

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NCI CRADA Receipts Deposited to the U.S. Treasury
(Dollars in Thousands)
Fiscal Year Carryover from Prior Year Collections Obligations
2006 $13,567 $6,142 $7,125
2007 $12,584 $9,410 $8,360
2008 $13,634 $6,677 $7,200
2009 $13,111 $5,466 $4,765
2010 $13,813 $5,024 $5,644
2011 $13,150 $8,582 $5,894
2012 $15,504 $9,253 $5,668
2013 $10,587 $11,226 $8,470
2014 $21,173 $9,334 $5,672
2015 $24,835 $15,772 $11,670
2016 $28,276 $23,411 $17,259
2017 $40,647 $27,033 $20,990
2018 $46,311 $28,601 $22,936
2019 $50,978 $32,899 $28,178
2020 $53,825 $33,776 $28,683
2021 $59,044 $38,735 $32,994
2022 $71,091 $22,856 $11,301
2023 $67,363 $34,102 $37,834

Royalty Income

NCI retains a portion of the royalty income generated by the patents related to NCI-funded research. A major portion of this royalty income is used to support employees of the laboratory, further scientific exchange, and provide education and training in accordance with the terms of the Federal Technology Transfer Act (PL 99-502). Receipts are also used to support costs associated with processing and collecting royalty income and for technology transfer efforts at NCI and NIH. Royalties may be spent in the year of receipt and for two additional fiscal years.

NCI Royalty Income Funding History
(Dollars in Thousands)
Years Collections* Inventor Payments Other Obligations
1Collections do not include assessments by NIH.
2Amounts for 2020/2022 and 2021/2023 were corrected from prior reports.
32022/2024 and 2023/2025 Inventor Payments and Other Obligations are estimates
1991/1992 $2,084 $431 $1,653
2001/2003 $27,443 $6,210 $21,233
2005/2007 $34,086 $5,745 $28,341
2006/2008 $29,811 $6,853 $22,958
2007/2009 $36,344 $7,210 $29,134
2008/2010 $50,269 $8,192 $42,077
2009/2011 $51,621 $10,225 $41,396
2010/2012 $58,515 $5,729 $52,786
2011/2013 $69,155 $23,271 $45,884
2012/2014 $84,876 $33,279 $51,597
2013/2015 $91,324 $48,433 $42,891
2014/2016 $112,668 $33,487 $79,181
2015/2017 $122,037 $30,605 $91,432
2016/2018 $115,096 $27,316 $87,780
2017/2019 $112,611 $27,233 $85,378
2018/2020 $86,231 $15,539 $70,692
2019/2021 $70,400 $5,370 $65,030
22020/2022 $24,541 $7,244 $17,297
22021/2023 $34,142 $6,130 $28,012
32022/2024 $42,709 $7,907 $34,802
32023/2025 $34,856 $6,638 $28,218

Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act

The Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act (PL 105-41) was enacted in August 1997 and has since been extended to July 2000 (PL 106-253), November 2005 (PL 109-100), December 2007 (PL 110-150), December 2011 (PL 112-80), December 2015 (PL 114-99), and recently until December 2027 (PL 116-92). This act allows postal customers the opportunity to contribute funds to breast cancer research through their voluntary purchases of special rate postage stamps from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Of the funds collected above the postage costs and administrative costs, the act requires the USPS to transfer 70% to NIH and 30% to the Department of Defense. As of September 2023, NCI has received $66,586,050. NCI uses these funds for research projects directed towards breast cancer research. Thus far, five major programs have been funded, including the Insight Awards to Stamp Out Breast Cancer, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Exceptional Opportunities Program, the Breast Cancer Premalignancy Program, a clinical trial to determine the risk of breast cancer recurrence, the Molecular and Cellular Characterization of Screen Detected Lesions Consortium, the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL), and the Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST). In fiscal year 2023, $3,423,048 million in stamp funds were obligated towards breast cancer research.

NCI Breast Cancer Stamp Funding History
(Dollars in Thousands)
FY Collected Obligated Balance*
*Balance includes carryover funds from the prior fiscal year that have not obligated.
1999 $4,150 $0 $4,150
2000 $3,101 $3,499 $3,753
2001 $5,556 $4,846 $4,463
2002 $3,595 $1,129 $6,929
2003 $5,176 $3,130 $8,975
2004 $4,814 $3,472 $10,317
2005 $4,372 $2,987 $11,703
2006 $4,468 $6,896 $9,274
2007 $3,006 $1,601 $10,679
2008 $4,856 $2,122 $13,413
2009 $3,403 $1,873 $14,944
2010 $2,345 $2,590 $14,698
2011 $2,049 $1,977 $14,770
2012 $1,623 $1,654 $14,738
2013 $1,404 $1,337 $14,805
2014 $1,160 $1,477 $14,488
2015 $1,251 $1,635 $14,105
2016 $1,707 $1,654 $14,158
2017 $1,387 $1,640 $13,905
2018 $1,294 $5,349 $16,497
2019 $1,450 $2,518 $15,429
2020 $1,060 $2,571 $13,918
2021 $1,112 $1,000 $14,030
2022 $1,221 $1,461 $13,791
2023 $1,028 $3,423 $11,395
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