The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are the primary federal agency responsible for biomedical and public health research in the United States. The NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and consists of 27 institutes and centers, each with a specific research agenda. The mission of NIH is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.
The NIH budget for fiscal year 2019 is $39 billion dollars. Seventy-five percent of this budget is awarded through extramural grants to more than 300,000 researchers at over 2,500 universities, medical schools, hospitals, and other institutions in every state across America and around the world.
The NIH Director’s office oversees institute activities, provides leadership on trans-NIH initiatives, coordinates initiative planning across NIH institutes, represents NIH in external dealings as required or assigned by the Secretary HHS, testifies before Congress on behalf of all 27 institutes and centers regarding issues related to biomedical research funded by NIH appropriations; ensures that individual institute directors carry out their assigned responsibilities; assigns budgetary resources among institutes according to priorities determined in consultation with institute directors; approves new institute programs; provides advice on scientific policy matters to DHHS agencies; serves as final arbiter on appeals from grantees relating to award decisions made by individual ICs; reviews applications for intramural research training grants submitted by individual ICs prior to forwarding them to an independent review group convened byOD; negotiates funding levels for each IC within available appropriations following completionof Congressional action on spending bills affecting HHS discretionary budget authority; signs delegations of authority issued under Sections 301(d)and 303(c)of Title 5 USC assigning certain authorities normally vested in him/herto subordinate officials within OD or elsewherein HHS as appropriate.”