The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports fundamental research that enhances understanding of biological processes and lays the establishes for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. NIGMS funded researchers explore how living systems function at a range of levels, from molecules and
cells to tissues, whole organisms and populations. The Institute supports research in certain clinical areas, primarily those that affect multiple organ systems. To assure the vitality and continued productivity of the research enterprise, NIGMS provides leadership in training the next generation of scientists, in upgrading the diversity of the scientific workforce, and in developing research capacities throughout the nation.
NIGMS is composed into divisions and a center that research and research preparing in a scope of logical fields. Major areas in which these units subsidize research are in the division of biomedical technology, bioinformatics, cell
biology and biophysics,
genetics and developmental biology, etc. Strengthening public understanding and appreciation of science is a key NIGMS goal. As part of its efforts, the Institute publishes free science
education materials on a range of topics.
NIGMS was set up in 1962. In Fiscal Year 2016, the Institutes
budget is $2.5 billion. The vast majority of this money funds grants to scientists at universities, medical schools, hospitals and research institutions throughout the country. At any given time, NIGMS supports more than 3,000 investigators and 4,500 research grants–over 11 percent of the total number of research awards funded by NIH. Additionally, NIGMS supports approximately 26.3 percent of the NRSA trainees who receive assistance from NIH. The Institute places great emphasis on supporting investigator-initiated research grants that unleash the creativity and energy of investigators across the country to solve important biomedical problems. In addition, the Institute provides funding to a limited number of research centers that support critical resources of the research used by the scientific community or that build research capacities in states that historically have received low levels of NIH funding.
NIGMS is organized into divisions and a center that support research and research training in a range of scientific fields. Major areas in which these units fund research are listed below their names: NIGMS research training programs reflect the interdisciplinary nature of biomedical research and emphasize experiences that cut across fields of inquiry. NIGMS recognizes a compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical research workforce and is committed to galvanizing efforts in this arena by recruiting talented researchers from all groups and supporting quality educational and training environments in a wide variety of scientific areas. Certain NIGMS training programs address areas in which there are particularly critical needs. One of these, the Medical Scientist Training Program, produces investigators who hold both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees and are thus well trained in basic and clinical science. NIGMS also has a Postdoctoral Research Associate Program, in which postdoctoral scientists receive training in NIH laboratories.
Last Updated on: Nov 25, 2024