NIH

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the United States government’s primary federal agency for biomedical and public health research. It is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. NIH supports and conducts medical research across a broad range of disciplines, from basic biology to clinical studies, and it funds research conducted at universities and research institutions around the world.

Structure and activities: NIH comprises 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research focus, such as the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. NIH supports both extramural research through competitive grants and intramural research conducted within NIH laboratories and clinical centers.

History and mission: The NIH traces its origins to 1887 as the Laboratory of Hygiene within the Public Health Service. It evolved into the National Institute of Health and later the National Institutes of Health, expanding into a multi-institute system. Its mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about living systems and to apply that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

Funding and impact: NIH is the largest funder of biomedical research in the world, supporting thousands of research projects, training programs, and research resources. It also administers programs and resources such as the National Library of Medicine and PubMed, and it collaborates with international partners on public health research.