NIAID supports 21 laboratories and two free-standing sections that conduct peer-reviewed research as well as several branches that focus on new research technologies and animal care. Through the Division of Intramural Research, 120 principal investigators lead research groups composed of staff scientists, physicians, fellows, technical personnel, and students.
In addition to conducting internal research, NIAID provides many laboratory and clinical research training opportunities for both pre- and post-doctoral physicians and scientists.
Division of Intramural Research
For more than 60 years the Division of Intramural Research (DIR) has supported the NIAID mission by conducting basic and clinical research in a wide range of disciplines related to immunology, allergy, and infectious diseases. Their purpose is to make scientific discoveries that promote the development of new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to improve human health. Learn more about DIR labs and how they support the NIAID mission.
Vaccine Research Center
The mission of the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) is to conduct research that facilitates the development of effective vaccines for human disease. The primary focus of research is the development of vaccines for AIDS but the center also conducts research into the development of vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases, from Ebola to influenza. Learn about the work being done at the VRC.
Training Experience in NIAID Labs
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bethesda, Maryland, campus is home to more than 1,000 laboratories where scientists are engaged in virtually every area of biomedical research, so expertise in almost any discipline is readily accessible. Inter-Institute interest groups promote interactions between senior scientists and NIH fellows in different disciplines. Learn more about training at NIAID labs.
Office of Training and Diversity
The DIR Office of Training and Diversity (OTD) sponsors research experiences in DIR laboratories in Maryland and Montana through a variety of programs. THe OTD provides funding for post-baccalaureate and post-doctoral trainees.
Trainees are able to participate in several career-development programs offered by the OTD: the NIAID annual fellows retreat, skill-building workshops, grant-writing seminars, orientation sessions, and individual career counseling. Learn more about the OTD.
Intramural NIAID Research Opportunities (INRO)
The OTD also conducts an annual outreach program, called Intramural NIAID Research Opportunities (INRO), to identify talented undergraduate and graduate students interested in DIR research and training programs.
The INRO program is an extraordinary opportunity for talented medical students, doctoral students, and undergraduate senior level students from populations underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. Read more about the INRO program.