National Institutes of Health
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It is comprised of 27 separate institutes and centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.

NIH offers a wide array of services to researchers, medical professionals, and the general public. These services include funding opportunities for scientific research, training programs for researchers and clinicians, and the dissemination of health information to the public. The agency conducts its own research through its intramural programs and supports external research through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.

Additionally, the NIH provides access to a vast collection of medical information through its National Library of Medicine, the world's largest biomedical library. This includes databases like PubMed, a free search engine accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics.

The NIH also plays a pivotal role in advancing translational research, which aims to turn scientific discoveries into practical applications to improve human health. This is facilitated through programs like the Clinical Center, which is the largest hospital in the world dedicated entirely to clinical research.

For patients and families, NIH offers clinical trials which can be a way to access new treatments and therapies. Researchers can utilize the NIH's resources for data, specimen repositories, and advanced research tools.

The NIH's mission extends globally, with collaborations and partnerships with other nations and international organizations to address emerging health challenges. It is a government-funded entity, and its services are designed to advance the health and well-being of people in the United States and around the world.