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About NIH

Frequently Asked Questions

Health Information

Grants and Funding

  • Grants—Where can I find grant information?
  • Research Training—Where can I go for information about research training opportunities at NIH and other research institutions?
  • Loan Repayment—Where can I find information about the NIH Clinical, Pediatric, Health Disparities, and Contraception and Infertility Loan Repayment Programs?
  • Research Funding—How can I find out how much NIH spends on a particular disease, condition or research area?
  • Research Categories—How does NIH sort its funding projects into different research, condition and disease categories?

News and Events

  • Research highlights—Where can I find information about the latest research highlights coming out of NIH?
  • Event schedules—Where can I find information about NIH-sponsored conferences and events?

Scientific Resources

About NIH

  • Mission—What is the National Institutes of Health?
  • Organization—Where can I find organizational charts for each of the NIH Institutes and Centers?
  • Location—Where is the NIH located?
  • Visitors—Where can I get information about visiting the NIH?
  • Mailing address—What is the main mailing address of NIH?
  • Toll-free number—Does NIH have a toll-free telephone number?
  • Staff directory—How can I locate an NIH employee address, phone number, and e-mail address?
  • NIH Director—How can I contact the Director of the NIH?
  • Public Involvement—Can I become involved in NIH activities?
  • NIH budget—Where can I find information about the NIH budget?
  • Business opportunities—Where can I find information about conducting business with NIH?
  • FOIA requests—How do I submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request?
  • Information Quality—Where can I find out about quality of information at NIH?

Jobs at NIH

  • Jobs—Where can I find information about employment opportunities at NIH?
  • Internships—Where can I find information about summer internships?

NIH Website

Can't find an answer to your question? Contact us at NIHinfo.

Health Information

Where can I find information about a specific disease?

The NIH Health Information page at http://health.nih.gov provides access to Institute and Center resources based on scientific investigation.

Can NIH offer any advice when searching for health information on the Internet?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has no official role in policing the quality of health information found on the Internet. Nevertheless, we can offer some advice.
  • Web information should not be used as an alternative to seeking professional medical help. Don't use the information you find to make a self-diagnosis.
  • Don't use information found on the Web for self-treatment, especially in cases of serious illness.
  • Use the information you find to become an informed patient. Discuss what you have learned with your medical care providers.
  • When reviewing information you have uncovered, look for dates—how old is the information?
  • Be a critical consumer, ask questions: Has this document been updated? Is there a point-of-contact for the information? Are there any references? Has the information been peer reviewed (critically examined by credentialed professionals)?
  • Remember that the distinction between a paid ad and public service announcements may not be obvious on the Web.
  • Federal, State and even local government often provide health information. Look at the domain name of the site you have found—sites ending in GOV and ORG generally reflect Federal or State sources or non profit organizations.
  • Be particularly cautious when you see claims that a product: cures a wide range of ills, promises a quick fix, or seems too good to be true.

How does NIH tell the public about the science and health information its research uncovers?

As a public agency, NIH is committed to ensuring that accurate information reaches the diverse American public. How NIH Brings Health and Science to the Public explains how NIH communicates science and health information to patients, families, scientists, industry, teachers and students, health professionals, and the press.

Does the NIH provide advice for specific medical conditions?

The NIH Web site does not offer personalized medical advice to individuals about their condition or treatment. The resources on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care and we urge you to work with your medical care providers for answers to your personal health questions.

If you have a medical question, please visit the Health Information page (http://health.nih.gov) on the NIH Web site. You should also visit MEDLINEplus at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/. We've found that a large percentage of the questions about NIH on-line resources can be answered by browsing our index pages or by using the NIH Search Engine at http://www.nih.gov/google.search.nih.html.

If you have questions that relate to specific foods, or prescription, or over-the-counter drugs, you should visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Web site http://www.fda.gov/.

Can I receive medical treatment at the NIH?

NIH is a medical research organization. As such, we only enroll patients who are participating in one of our clinical studies. These trials span a wide range of diseases and conditions. For information about clinical trials, go to http://clinicaltrials.gov.

Can the NIH recommend medical specialists or hospitals in my area?

No. However, please visit Healthfinder at http://www.healthfinder.gov/ for information on choosing quality care.

Where can I go to learn about prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and narcotics?

NIH's National Library of Medicine provides a guide to over 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter medications on its MEDLINEplus Web site. For the latest information on drug approvals and safety warnings, consult the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Web site. For information about drug abuse and addiction, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Where can I go for information about clinical trials?

You can visit NIH Clinical Trials and You to learn about clinical trial basics, read volunteer and researcher stories, find ways to connect with clinical trials, and locate other educational resources for the public and health care providers.

Where can I find information about alternative medicine?

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines (NCCAM) Web site is located at http://nccam.nih.gov/. NCCAM conducts and supports basic and applied research and training and disseminates information on complementary and alternative medicine to practitioners and the public.

Can I volunteer for NIH research studies even if I'm healthy?

The NIH Clinical Center provides an opportunity for healthy volunteers to participate in medical research studies (sometimes called protocols or trials). Healthy volunteers provide researchers with important information for comparison with people who have specific illnesses. Every year, nearly 3,500 healthy volunteers participate in studies at NIH. Visit the Clinical Research Volunteer Program to learn about the benefits of volunteering.

Does NIH provide statistical information on health and disease topics?

Some NIH Institutes have established special on-line areas to provide statistical information. Visit the following links for information on: cancer, complementary and alternative medicine, deafness and communication disorders, dental health, diabetes, digestive diseases, kidney and urologic diseases, obesity, drug abuse, eye disease, and mental health.

Statistics Information from CDC:

Data Tools and Statistics—provided by the National Library of Medicine

Where can I go for information about biological agents & other threats and NIH's Biodefense efforts?

You can find information about NIH's bio-defense efforts at the NIAID Biodefense site: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/biodefenserelated/Pages/default.aspx. For general information about emergency preparedness, we recommend http://www.bt.cdc.gov/External Web Site Policy , which is operated by our partner agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Grants and Funding

Where can I find grant information?

Information regarding funding opportunities from NIH may be found on the Grants Page at http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm.This page provides information about NIH grant and fellowship programs, policy changes, administrative responsibilities of awardees. Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools provided access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, see http://report.nih.gov/.

Where can I go for information about research training opportunities at NIH and other research institutions?

Visit our Research Training Opportunities page. This site brings together information about the intramural and extramural training opportunities offered by all of NIH's Institutes and Centers.

Where can I find information about NIH Loan Repayment Programs?

NIH LRPs are a vital component of our nation's efforts to attract health professionals to careers in clinical, pediatric, health disparity, or contraceptive and infertility research. Visit www.lrp.nih.gov for all the details and to complete an online application for NIH Loan Repayment benefits.

How can I find out how much NIH spends on a particular disease, condition or research area?

Check out NIH's estimates of funding for various research, condition and disease categories at http://report.nih.gov/categorical_spending.aspx.

How does NIH sort its funding projects into different research, condition and disease categories?

You can read about NIH's research, condition and disease categorization process at http://report.nih.gov/rcdc/.

News and Events

Where can I find information about the latest research highlights coming out of NIH?

You can read about the latest research advances on the News and Events page. A list of selected research highlights from the previous year is available through Research Matters: http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/january2012/researchmatters2011recap.htm. A historical list of these research highlights is available from the Office of History: http://history.nih.gov/about/timelines_research_advances.html

Where can I find information about NIH-sponsored conferences and events?

The NIH Calendar of Events is located at http://calendar.nih.gov/. It lists NIH-sponsored meetings and other meetings of interest to both employees and the general public. It is updated daily and the listed meetings are free and open to the public.

Scientific Resources

Where can I find information about NIH Image (the software package)?

NIH Image is a public domain image processing and analysis program for the Macintosh. It was developed at the Research Services Branch (RSB) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The software is located at http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/index.html .

Who is responsible for the assurance of proper conduct of research?

The HHS Office of Research Integrity (ORI) promotes integrity in biomedical and behavioral research supported by the U. S. Public Health Service (PHS) at about 4,000 institutions worldwide. ORI monitors institutional investigations of research misconduct and facilitates the responsible conduct of research through educational, preventive, and regulatory activities.

Where can I locate information about stem cell research?

Visit the NIH Stem Cell information page.

About NIH

What is the National Institutes of Health (NIH)?

Founded in 1887, the National Institutes of Health today is one of the world's foremost medical research centers, and the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States. The NIH, comprising 27 separate Institutes and Centers, is one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Service which, in turn, is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Simply described, the goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information.

Where can I find organizational charts for each of the NIH Institutes and Centers?

Follow this link for a list of organizational charts for each NIH Institute or Center.

Where is the NIH located?

The main campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is located in Bethesda, Maryland. Our main mailing address is:

National Institutes of Health
Building 1
1 Center Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892

Information about how to get to NIH is located at http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm.

NIH scientists conduct their research in laboratories located on the main campus in Bethesda, and in several field units across the country and abroad. The NIH also has facilities in the Rockville, Maryland area and the NCI Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center (FCRDC) at Fort Detrick in Frederick, MD. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' main facility is located in Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina.

Other laboratory facilities include the NIH Animal Center in Poolesville, MD; the National Institute on Aging's Gerontology Research Center in Baltimore, MD; the Division of Intramural Research of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, also in Baltimore; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, MT, and several smaller field stations.

Where can I get information about visiting the NIH?

Maps, driving directions and links to popular campus locations are located on our Visitor page at http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm. Information about entering campus and its buildings, parking, using campus transportation and current security measures in place is available at http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorsecurity.htm. To find out if NIH is open, see OPM's Washington, D.C. Area Operating Status Web site.

What is the main mailing address of NIH?

Our mailing address is:

National Institutes of Health
Building 1
1 Center Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892

Other NIH street addresses are available in a searchable database at http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/pes/dmms/services/Pages/Mailing-Addresses.aspx.

Does NIH have a toll-free telephone number?

Toll-free Health Info lines may be found at http://www.nih.gov/health/infoline.htm. The main number for NIH is (301) 496-4000.

How can I locate an NIH employee address, phone number, and email address?

The NIH email and phone directory for NIH employees may be found at http://teledirectory.nih.gov/.

How can I contact the Director of the NIH?

Mailing address:
Director, NIH
9000 Rockville Pike
MSC 0148
Bethesda, Maryland 20892

E-mail: execsec1@od.nih.gov
Web site: http://www.nih.gov/about/director/index.htm

Can I become involved in NIH activities?

Yes, for more information, visit http://www.nih.gov/about/copr/getinvolved/index.htm. The purpose of the site is to provide information about NIH's many outreach efforts, including nationwide NIH-sponsored events and activities; new publications and resources for the public; health campaigns; and various avenues for public feedback.

In addition, NIH hosts a blog called Feedback NIH, which can be found here: http://feedback.nih.gov/. Feedback NIH provides up to date information on some of NIH’s most exciting initiatives and activities and provides a space for you to share your feedback on those topics.

Where can I find information about the NIH budget?

A link to the current budget is available on the NIH Director's page at http://www.nih.gov/about/director/index.htm. More information about the NIH budget can be found on the Office of Budget site at http://officeofbudget.od.nih.gov/.

Where can I find information about conducting business with NIH?

A number of Web pages have been developed to help you do business with NIH. If you are a small business, bookmark the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization page to take advantage of monthly seminars on "Conducting Business with NIH." Information about contracts and other business opportunities can also be found at the Office of Acquisition Management and Policy. We also encourage you to register your business with the NIH e-Portals in Commerce (e-PIC) system, which will allow NIH buyers to quickly find your organization when searching for products and services.

How do I submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request?

Information regarding Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests may be found at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/foia/index.htm.

Where can I find out about quality of information at NIH?

Our Information Quality site contains guidelines, policy and instructions on requesting a correction.

What is the NIH Roadmap and where can I find more information?

The NIH Roadmap is an effort to transform the nation's medical research capabilities and speed the movement of research discoveries from the bench to the bedside. For complete information, visit the Roadmap site at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov.

Jobs at NIH

Where can I find information about employment opportunities at NIH?

Information about employment opportunities at NIH may be found at www.jobs.nih.gov.

Where can I find information about summer internships?

Information about summer internships may be found at http://www.jobs.nih.gov/vacancies/student/.

NIH Web site

Who owns and operates the NIH Web site?

The NIH Web site at www.nih.gov is maintained by the Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL), which is part of the Office of the Director, NIH. Technical support and hosting of the system is provided by NIH's Center for Information Technology. Collectively, large segments of NIH Web space are owned and operated by each of the 27 Institutes and Centers that comprise NIH.

What's the purpose of the NIH Web site and how does it serve the public?

The purpose of the NIH Web site is to support the mission of our agency. NIH conducts scientific investigation in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems. NIH applies that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. As part of our mission we direct programs for the collection, dissemination, and exchange of information in medicine and health, including the development and support of medical libraries and the training of medical librarians and other health information specialists. The NIH Web site serves the public by offering ready access to:

  • Clinical studies;
  • Health and wellness information;
  • Information on obtaining research funding;
  • Research resources and library resources;
  • News, events, and educational activities related to NIH and its mission;
  • Scientific program, policy, and planning documents;
  • General information about the agency, its history, organizational structure, staff, and facilities.

Where can I find more information about the NIH Web site?

For more information about the NIH Web site, contact the
Online Information Branch, OCPL
Phone: 301-435-2932
E-mail: olib@mail.nih.gov

Does NIH have a privacy notice posted online?

Yes, NIH does have a privacy notice, it can be found at http://www.nih.gov/about/privacy.htm.

How often is the NIH Web site updated?

The NIH Web site is not just one site but a large collection of sites—over 150 servers. Some areas are updated daily while others may not be updated for weeks or months.

Most of the information on our site is in the public domain and can be used without charge or restriction.

There are a few exceptions. For example, some resources, such as the Interactive Health Tutorials found on NIH's National Library of Medicine Website, as well as images on the NIH Web site have been licensed by a third party and are restricted in their use. Generally, copyrighted materials will include a copyright statement. If in doubt, please write to the contact point for that site.

In addition, the word mark NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Please review the additional guidance on trademark usage before implementing the word mark.

Generally, copyrighted materials will include a copyright statement. If in doubt, please write to the contact point for that site.

Another item restricted in its use is the NIH logo. The NIH logo is designed to signify official NIH products, activities, events, representatives, and facilities. It should never be used to promote or suggest endorsement of non-NIH products, events, or services. It should never be used by outside parties to misrepresent the purpose, character, policies, or mission of our agency. Visit this page to learn more.

Also, some materials that can be ordered from our site are subject to cost-recovery fee; however, in most cases, a single copy of any NIH publication can be ordered for free.

While you can reuse content found on our site, please note that many of our on-line health publications are continually updated as we learn more about that specific disease or condition. Occasionally, sites that copy and re-post our materials fail to check for updates, which results in out-of-date information being offered to users. For that reason, we urge you to link to our resource documents rather than re-posting. If you do re-post, please check back periodically to see if there are revisions.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®—Can I use this word mark on my online and printed materials?

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health® is a registered trademark, approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Please review the NIH Trademark Guidelines for more information.
The NIH logo is designed to signify official NIH products, activities, events, representatives, and facilities. It should never be used to promote or suggest endorsement of non-NIH products, events, or services. It should never be used by outside parties to misrepresent the purpose, character, policies, or mission of our agency. Visit this page to learn more.
Unless noted otherwise, it is safe to assume that information posted on public Web sites within the "NIH.GOV" domain are considered to be "in the public domain." As such, you are free to establish links to NIH on-line resources. In establishing such links, we do ask that you avoid creating the impression that NIH is endorsing or promoting any particular product or service.

Will the NIH link to my Web site?

As a Federal agency, NIH cannot endorse or promote commercial or individual interests or services. In some cases, where the information serves the public good and is consistent with our mission, we may include an outside link to an external resource; however these need to be examined on a case-by-case basis. In general, the web developer of each particular site determines when links to outside entities are justified.

Where can I find NIH photographs?

Please visit our Image Bank, https://imagebank.nih.gov/.

Health Campaigns

A list of Selected NIH Education and Awareness Campaigns is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/ocpl/resources/campaigns/.
This page last reviewed on January 16, 2013

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