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Our Programs

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers. Each Institute or Center has its own specific research agenda and administrates its own budget. All but three receive their funding directly from Congress.

The NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) is comprised of intramural programs embedded in 23 of the NIH Institutes and Centers, and located on one or more of the NIH campuses. We invite you to learn more about our IRP components and their individual mandates by clicking on the links below.

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Center for Cancer Research (CCR)

CCR conducts basic and clinical cancer research and develops novel therapeutic interventions for cancer and HIV patients.

Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG)

DCEG conducts population and multidisciplinary research to discover the genetic and environmental determinants of cancer and new approaches to cancer prevention.

National Eye Institute (NEI)

NEI carries out basic and clinical research to develop therapeutic interventions for the prevention and treatment of visual system diseases.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

NHLBI performs scientific and clinical research to better understand the biology and clinical pathology of heart, lung, and blood diseases.

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

NHGRI conducts laboratory, clinical, and behavioral research focused on human genetic disease and develops methods for the detection, prevention, and treatment of genetic disorders.

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIA provides an academic setting for a comprehensive effort to understand aging through multidisciplinary investigator-initiated research.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

NIAAA aims to identify the causes and consequences of alcoholism and excessive drinking, and to understand the underlying biological processes of disease.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Division of Intramural Research

NIAID conducts basic and clinical research related to immunology, allergy, and infectious diseases to promote the development of new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Vaccine Research Center (VRC)

The VRC’s mission is to conduct research that facilitates the development of effective vaccines for human disease, with a focus on AIDS.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

NIAMS focuses on studying diseases that involve bones, joints, muscles, and skin through clinical and laboratory research.

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

NIBIB integrates engineering and physical sciences with the life sciences to advance basic research and medical care with biomedical technologies.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

NICHD focuses its research on the biology of human development and reproduction to ensure the birth of healthy babies and the health of infants and children into adulthood.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

NIDCD conducts basic and clinical research in the areas of human communication.

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

NIDCR conducts basic laboratory, translational, and clinical research in support of craniofacial and dental health using the latest techniques in biomedical science.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

NIDDK conducts research related to metabolic, digestive, kidney, and hematologic diseases and diabetes mellitus.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA conducts state-of-the-art research on basic mechanisms that underlie drug abuse and addiction, and develops new methods of treatment.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

The NIEHS aims to reduce the burden of human illness and disability by understanding how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIMH researches the mechanisms of normal brain function at the behavioral, systems, and molecular levels, and conducts clinical investigations of mental illness.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

NIMHD conducts research on differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

NINDS conducts basic, translational, and clinical research aimed at relieving the burden of neurological disorders and stroke.

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

NINR seeks to understand the underlying biological mechanisms of a range of symptoms, their effect on patients, and how patients respond to interventions.

National Library of Medicine (NLM)

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

NCBI creates and maintains databases for the medical and scientific communities and general public, including literature, molecular, and genomic databases.

Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications (LHNCBC)

The Lister Hill Center conducts and supports research and development with the goal of improving access to high quality biomedical information for individuals around the world.

Center for Information Technology (CIT)

CIT develops leading-edge computational methods and tools to solve complex biomedical laboratory and clinical research problems.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

NCCAM investigates the potential clinical utility of selected complementary and alternative medicine modalities that might allay or attenuate life “stressors.”

NIH Clinical Center (CC)

The Clinical Center is the nation’s largest hospital devoted entirely to leading-edge clinical biomedical research.