---
title: "National Institutes of Health"
chunk: 5/5
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institutes_of_Health"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:34:55.439659+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

=== Funding criteria ===
The NIH employs five broad decision criteria in its funding policy. First, ensure the highest quality of scientific research by employing an arduous peer review process. Second, seize opportunities that have the greatest potential to yield new knowledge and that will lead to better prevention and treatment of disease. Third, maintain a diverse research portfolio to capitalize on major discoveries in a variety of fields such as cell biology, genetics, physics, engineering, and computer science. Fourth, address public health needs according to the disease burden (e.g., prevalence and mortality). And fifth, construct and support the scientific infrastructure (e.g., well-equipped laboratories and safe research facilities) necessary to conduct research.
Advisory committee members advise the institute on policy and procedures affecting the external research programs and provide a second level of review for all grant and cooperative agreement applications considered by the Institute for funding.

==== Gender and sex bias ====
In 2014, it was announced that the NIH is directing scientists to perform their experiments with both female and male animals, or cells derived from females as well as males if they are studying cell cultures, and that the NIH would take the balance of each study design into consideration when awarding grants. The announcement also stated that this rule would probably not apply when studying sex-specific diseases (for example, ovarian or testicular cancer).

=== Stakeholders ===

==== General public ====
One of the goals of the NIH is to "expand the base in medical and associated sciences in order to ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research." Taxpayer dollars funding the NIH are from the taxpayers, making them the primary beneficiaries of advances in research. Thus, the general public is a key stakeholder in the decisions resulting from the NIH funding policy. However, some in the general public do not feel their interests are being represented, and individuals have formed patient advocacy groups to represent their own interests.

==== Extramural researchers and scientists ====
Important stakeholders of the NIH funding policy include researchers and scientists. Extramural researchers differ from intramural researchers in that they are not employed by the NIH but may apply for funding. Throughout the history of the NIH, the amount of funding received has increased, but the proportion to each IC remains relatively constant. The individual ICs then decide who will receive the grant money and how much will be allotted.
Policy changes on who receives funding significantly affect researchers. For example, the NIH has recently attempted to approve more first-time NIH R01 applicants or the research grant applications of young scientists. To encourage the participation of young scientists, the application process has been shortened and made easier. In addition, first-time applicants are being offered more funding for their research grants than those who have received grants in the past.

== Commercial partnerships ==
In 2011 and 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General published a series of audit reports revealing that throughout the fiscal years 2000–2010, institutes under the aegis of the NIH did not comply with the time and amount requirements specified in appropriations statutes, in awarding federal contracts to commercial partners, committing the federal government to tens of millions of dollars of expenditure ahead of appropriation of funds from Congress.

== Institutes and centers ==

The NIH is composed of 27 separate institutes and centers that conduct and coordinate biomedical research. These are:

In addition, the National Center for Research Resources operated from April 13, 1962, to December 23, 2011.

== ARPA-H ==

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is an entity formerly within the Office of the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, which was created by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. Modeled after DARPA, HSARPA, IARPA, and ARPA-E, it is intended to pursue unconventional research projects through methods not typically used by federal agencies or private sector companies. Secretary Xavier Becerra delegated ARPA-H to the NIH on May 24, 2022. It received $1 billion in appropriations in 2022, and $1.5 billion in 2023, and as of June 2023 it is requesting $2.5 billion for 2024.

== Consensus Development Program ==
The Consensus Development Program is an initiative focused on gathering expert opinions to establish standards and guidelines in various fields, especially in health and medicine. Developed as a collaborative effort by organizations such as the NIH, the program assembles panels of specialists who assess available evidence on critical topics and form recommendations to guide clinical practice and policy. This method helps ensure that healthcare decisions are informed by the latest scientific research and expert consensus.

== List of previous directors ==

== See also ==
Biomedical Engineering and Instrumentation Program (BEIP)
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
Heads of International Research Organizations
List of institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
National Science Foundation
NIH Toolbox
United States Public Health Service

== References ==

== External links ==

Official website 
National Institutes of Health in the Federal Register
Regional Medical Programs Collection of information on NIH's Regional Medical Programs, from the National Library of Medicine