OVERVIEW

For anyone committed to saving lives and improving human health, the National Institutes of Health is an unparalleled partner and the foundation a catalyst without peer.

Mission

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health is authorized by the United States Congress to support the research mission of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). The mission of the Foundation for NIH is to foster public health through scientific discovery, translational research, and the dissemination of research results through specially-configured, high-impact public-private partnerships consistent with the priorities of NIH.

The Foundation for NIH primarily focuses on large, ambitious initiatives with potentially high impact on the lives of millions of the world’s citizens, but the foundation is also involved in smaller focused programs in clinical training and ancillary support programs

The Foundation for NIH helps to underwrite biomedical initiatives that might not be attractive for private funding alone, or for one reason or another are not appropriate for wholly public funding. The foundation may take on projects that are particularly risky in terms of the likelihood of success or where companies may be willing to forgo profits because of early stage nature of the program or in the case of some global health initiatives due to the charitable nature of the project. Foundation projects tend to be longer-term, operating on a time scale that can be unattractive for private investors. At the same time the Foundation for NIH is capable of responding quickly and nimbly to funding needs that are immediate and pressing.

With the goals of NIH as its guide, the foundation serves both the public and private sectors, helping them achieve significant breakthroughs in human health in areas of interest that overlap with those of NIH.

For additional information choose one of the links below:

How the NIH saves lives

What Distinguishes the Foundation for NIH

Foundation for NIH Cultivates Public-Private Partnerships for Critical Biomedical Initiatives

"Big Picture" Management and Partnering

Fast Facts