National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary federal agency of the United States government responsible for conducting and supporting biomedical and public health research. Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH works to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. Each year it provides billions of dollars in research grants to investigators at universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions across the country and around the world.

NIH is organized into 27 institutes and centers, each focused on a particular area of health, disease, or stage of life. Together they fund basic, translational, and clinical research spanning cancer, infectious disease, genetics, mental health, aging, neuroscience, cardiovascular health, drug development, and broad public health priorities. That breadth makes NIH a relevant funder for nearly every health-related discipline, from early laboratory discovery through large clinical trials and population studies.

Researchers can pursue a wide range of NIH funding mechanisms depending on their career stage and project scope. These include research project grants such as the R01, career development (K) awards for emerging investigators, training and fellowship (T and F) awards, and small business programs (SBIR and STTR) that help commercialize innovation. Awards support both individual investigators and large collaborative teams, and review emphasizes scientific merit, rigor, and potential impact on human health.