AMDA Foundation - NIH Primer: What Researchers Need to Know

Home

Vol XXV, Jun `06

NIH Primer: What Researchers Need to Know

Vol XXV, June `06

There are many government organizations that are involved in supporting and promoting research. Everyone knows that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the premiere organization in this area. However, many people don't realize the range of activities, services, and information available through the agency. What follows is a summary of what researchers can find at the NIH and on the organization's Web site (http://www.nih.gov).

A part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Scientists conducting NIH-sponsored studies investigate ways to prevent disease as well as the causes, treatments, and even cures for common and rare diseases.

The agency traces its roots to the creation of the Laboratory of Hygiene at Staten Island's Marine Hospital in 1887. Over the years, NIH research has come to impact child and teen health, men's health, minority health, senior health, women's health, and wellness and lifestyle issues. Composed of 27 institutes and centers, NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world.

NIH's mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.

Among the news, information, and resources researchers can find on the agency's website are:

Research Matters. Summaries of NIH-funded research studies. Recent articles have addressed studies showing the nationwide under use of smoking cessation resources and effectiveness of the osteoporosis drug raloxifene for invasive breast cancer. (http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/index.htm)
NIH Ethics Program. This dedicated website deals with standards of ethical conduct. (http://ethics.od.nih.gov)
Seniors Health. Web page offering information and data on a wide range of senior health topics, including macular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, COPD, dementia, and osteoporosis. (http://health.nih.gov/search.asp/27)
Office of Extramural Research. This website is the focal point for NIH medical and behavioral research grant policies, guidelines, and funding opportunities. (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm)
Link to Grants.gov. This site enables researchers to search federal government-wide grant funding opportunities. (www.grants.gov)