National Institutes of Health Research | Community Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States federal government responsible for biomedical and public health research. Founded in 1887, the NIH is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. With a budget of over $41 billion in 2022, the NIH conducts its scientific research through the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) and provides significant biomedical research funding to non-NIH research facilities through its Extramural Research Program. The NIH has made significant contributions to our understanding of human health and disease, including the development of vaccines for diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and has been at the forefront of research into emerging health threats such as COVID-19. As of 2013, the IRP had 1,200 principal investigators and more than 4,000 postdoctoral fellows in basic, translational, and clinical research, making it the largest biomedical research institution in the world. The NIH's research has a significant impact on public health, with its findings informing policy and practice in areas such as disease prevention, health promotion, and healthcare delivery. For example, the NIH's research on the benefits of physical activity has led to the development of national guidelines for physical activity, while its research on the importance of vaccination has led to the development of vaccination programs for diseases such as influenza and pneumococcal disease.