Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announce cancer incubator awards
Press release from the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announced that Florida has awarded $30 million in grant funding to four specialty children’s hospitals in Florida to develop and improve access to clinical trials, advance treatment protocols, and discover cures for childhood cancer. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, and Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville were each awarded $7.5 million.
“Since I became governor, Florida has invested more than $1 billion in cancer research and treatment — a 114% increase. We created the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator program within the Florida Department of Health this year to enhance cancer research throughout Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Four of Florida’s top children’s hospitals have received a total of $30 million in funding for their innovative proposals to help children and adolescents who are fighting cancer. By investing in statewide infrastructure for pediatric cancer initiatives, we aim to eliminate the need for Florida families to travel out of state for potentially life-saving experimental therapies and specialized care.”
The Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator was created in 2025 to further Florida efforts as a leader in cancer research and treatment. The Incubator is funded with $30 million and will focus on pediatric cancer in its first five-year funding cycle. While pediatric cancer accounts for just one percent of cases nationally, Florida’s pediatric cancer population is significant, with the state accounting for six percent of all new pediatric cancer cases in the U.S., thereby impacting thousands of children and families every year.
“Research Incubator investments to advance research, prevention, and treatment for pediatric cancer represent a meaningful step forward in our mission to improve outcomes, strengthen families, and ensure that every child has access to the most advanced care possible right here in Florida,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “I’m deeply grateful to Governor DeSantis for his unwavering leadership and commitment to advancing cancer research in Florida.”
“Thanks to the vision and leadership of First Lady Casey DeSantis, Florida continues to set the national standard for advancing adult and childhood cancer research and care,” said State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo. “Through the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator, we’re not only investing in science, we’re investing in hope for children and families across the state.”
The Incubator is part of Florida’s Cancer Connect Collaborative, an innovative model designed to accelerate research, share best practices, and turn data into actionable results. Guided by five pillars — Data, Best Practices, Innovation, Honesty, and Funding — the initiative brings together public and private partners to reshape cancer care delivery.
“Thanks to the leadership of First Lady and Governor DeSantis, Florida continues to make cancer research and treatment a top priority,” said Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris. “The Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator is a bold step forward, beginning with pediatric cancer research. We look forward to seeing the strides made among the awardees and the collaboration that will accelerate breakthroughs, improve access to therapies, and offer hope to families across our state.”
For more information about Florida’s cancer research initiatives, visit FLCancerConnect.com.
I’m confused. Do we believe in research and science, or, no, and “experts” are not to be trusted? The messaging from the Desantis-Ladapo crowd seems mixed, at best. Desantis crows about his administration spending $1B on cancer research. Where’s the DOGE for what that spending has accomplished? Crickets….
“TALLAHASSEE, Florida — President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape higher education in a conservative mold aren’t just targeting Ivy League elites. They’re stripping millions from Florida universities — and the state’s Republican governor is happy to help.
While institutions like Harvard University and Columbia University are taking heat from the Trump administration, colleges all across the country — including deep red Florida — are feeling the squeeze of sweeping federal research cuts. Florida universities this year saw more than 90 grants terminated across key federal agencies.
Some states are suing the federal government to push back on the downsizing. But Florida, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, has the state’s government accountability DOGE team auditing university research projects and even recommending grants for termination….
…Florida’s terminated NIH and NSF grants eclipse $170 million in total federal funding over recent years, although the projects were targeted at various stages, with some never getting off the ground and others scoring partial cash, according to data compiled by the Grant Witness database and the agencies. At least $80 million in obligated but unspent money is estimated to be lost by Florida toward these grants, the data shows.
In some cases, research projects that were celebrated by schools have gone by the wayside….”
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/10/floridas-universities-face-research-overhaul-courtesy-of-trump-and-desantis-00499572