I just wanted to update everyone on a blog post that Hasan did last week concerning our efforts to extend the Special Diabetes Program (SDP).

We’re going to be launching a call-to-action tomorrow to generate phone calls to Members of Congress urging them to provide a multi-year extension of the SDP before 2010 is over.  We’ll post our alert here on the blog as well as in Twitter and Facebook.  When you see it, please take a minute to call each of your three Members.

The SDP is critical to our ability to continue research toward new treatments and a cure for type 1.  Providing $150 million per year, it represents 35% of the federal government’s commitment to type 1 research.  It funds many of the things we discussed on World Diabetes Day during our Type 1 Talk event. 

The SDP is scheduled to end in September of 2011, but the NIH will not be able to effectively plan its research efforts without an extension now.

Thanks in advance for your help, everyone.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please just add them to the comments section below.