Building Healthier Futures

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) was created by the 80th Texas Legislature and officially authorized by voters in November 2007 through a constitutional amendment. The act authorized $3 billion in funds from public tax dollars to support statewide cancer research and prevention efforts. Voters approved an additional $3 billion in 2019, funding CPRIT at $6 billion through 2039. CPRIT now represents the most robust government-funded model in the United States for advancing cancer prevention, research, innovation and patient care outside of the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

CPRIT funding is secured through a competitive peer- and-programmatic-review process. Densely populated regions of the state often benefit from their greater concentrations of people, programs and research infrastructure, creating natural competitive advantages.

CPRIT strives to ensure it can deliver on its mission for all Texans by designating areas and institutions outside these regions as eligible for Texas Regional Excellence in Cancer funding.

CPRIT investments have supported faculty recruitment, research infrastructure, prevention initiatives and translational science programs to improve cancer outcomes in Texas communities. These are especially meaningful in the western half of Texas, where access barriers can delay screening, treatment and participation in clinical trials.

For patients and families in TTUHSC’s 121-county service area, the impact is personal. Cancer research funding creates opportunities closer to home. Through continued investments in funding from state, federal, philanthropic and CPRIT partners, TTUHSC continues building a research enterprise designed to advance science and improve lives across the communities it serves.