The amount of time and money being spent on researching this disease is pitiful.

pitiful 是形容词，由名词 pity（怜悯）加上形容词后缀 -ful 构成，意思是"可怜的、令人同情的"。在句中引申为"不足的、少得可怜的"，强调数量或程度远远不够。