On Jul. 12, 2012, a decade after declaring its goal of becoming a National Cancer Institute-designated facility, the University of Kansas Cancer Center earned the prestigious title, bringing with it the potential for millions of dollars in additional research funding.

With the official announcement Thursday, the KU Cancer Center in Kansas City, Kan., also will be one of 67 facilities across the country that can offer treatments not available at facilities that don’t’ have the NCI designation.

The NCI — part of the HHS — doled out nearly $3.9 billion in federal grants in 2011, the most recent year figures are available. Roughly $265 million were support grants earmarked solely for NCI-designated cancer centers, ranging from $720,000 in Hawaii to $13.5 million to New York.