National Institute of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency for conducting and supporting medical research. It is composed of 27 different institutes and centers, each focusing on a specific area of health research. NIH's mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and apply that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. It is the largest biomedical research agency in the world, funding research in a wide range of areas, from cancer and infectious diseases to genetics and mental health.