National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

• Mission
• Important Events
• Legislative Chronology
• Director
• Programs

Mission

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports basic research that increases our understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. NIGMS also supports research in specific clinical areas that affect multiple organ systems: anesthesiology and peri-operative pain; clinical pharmacology common to multiple drugs and treatments; and injury, critical illness, sepsis, and wound healing. NIGMS-funded scientists investigate how living systems work at a range of levels—from molecules and cells to tissues and organs—in research organisms, humans, and populations. Additionally, to ensure the vitality and continued productivity of the research enterprise, NIGMS provides leadership in supporting the training of the next generation of scientists, broadening participation in the scientific workforce, and developing research capacity throughout the country.

NIGMS is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the principal medical research agency of the federal government and a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With a budget of $3.2 billion in FY 2023, NIGMS supported more than 4,800 investigators, more than 5,500 research grants, and more than 5,200 research trainees. The Institute has a strong track record of funding scientists who go on to receive Nobel Prizes, including 51 in Chemistry and 46​ in Physiology or Medicine.

All other NIH institutes and centers support basic research that’s relevant to the diseases, organ systems, stages of life, or populations within their mission areas. In contrast, NIGMS supports fundamental research that doesn’t focus on those specific areas. Its research mission is aimed at understanding the principles, mechanisms, and processes that underlie living organisms, often using research models. NIGMS also supports the development of fundamental methods and new technologies to achieve its mission. Supported research may utilize specific cells or organ systems if they serve as models for understanding general principles. Research with the overall goal to gain knowledge about a specific organ or organ system or the pathophysiology, treatment, or cure of a specific disease or condition will, in most cases, be more appropriate for another institute or center. See the NIH listing of institutes, centers, and offices to learn more about their specific missions.

Important Events in NIGMS History

July 16, 1958—The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) approved establishment of the Division of General Medical Sciences.

October 17, 1962—Congress authorized establishment of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

January 30, 1963—The HEW Secretary approved establishment of NIGMS.

October 8, 1963—The National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council held its first meeting.

October 13, 1982—NIGMS celebrated its 20th anniversary by establishing the DeWitt Stetten, Jr., Lecture. Dr. David S. Hogness, Stanford University, gave the first lecture.

October 1, 1989—Administration of the Minority Biomedical Research Support program was transferred to NIGMS from the NIH Division of Research Resources.

December 23, 2011—Administration of the Institutional Development Award program was transferred to NIGMS from the former National Center for Research Resources, along with NCRR’s biomedical technology programs.

July 31, 2012—NIH creates the Office of Emergency Care Research (OECR), a focal point for basic, clinical, and translational emergency care research and training across NIH. OECR is located in NIGMS.

May 4, 2015—NIGMS establishes the Center for Research Capacity Building (CRCB).

March 9, 2017—Administration of the Science Education Partnership Award program is transferred to NIGMS from NIH’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives.

January 2018—NIGMS reorganizes into three scientific divisions: Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB); Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB); and Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry (PPBC). CRCB becomes a full division, and OECR transfers to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

NIGMS Legislative Chronology

October 17, 1962—Public Law 87-838 authorized the U.S. Surgeon General to establish an institute to conduct and support research and research training in the general or basic medical sciences and in related natural or behavioral sciences that have significance for two or more other institutes of NIH, or that lie outside the general areas of responsibility of any other institute.

Biographical Sketch of NIGMS Director Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D.

Jon R. LorschNIH photo by Bill Branson

Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D., became the director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences in August 2013.

In this position, Lorsch oversees the Institute's budget ($3.2 billion in FY2023), which supports basic research that increases understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

NIGMS supports more than 4,800 investigators, more than 5,200 research trainees, and more than 5,500 research grants—around 11 percent of the total number of research grants funded by NIH as a whole. Additionally, NIGMS supports around 30 percent of the NRSA trainees who receive assistance from NIH.

Lorsch came to NIGMS from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he was a professor in the Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry. He joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1999 and became a full professor in 2009.

A leader in RNA biology, Lorsch studies the initiation of translation, a major step in controlling how genes are expressed. When this process goes awry, viral infection, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer can result. To dissect the mechanics of translation initiation, Lorsch and collaborators developed a yeast-based system and a wide variety of biochemical and biophysical methods. The work also has led to efforts to control translation initiation through chemical reagents, such as drugs. Lorsch continues this research as a tenured investigator in the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

NIGMS supported Lorsch's research from 2000-2013. He also received grants from the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and National Institute of Mental Health, as well as from other funding organizations.

Lorsch is as passionate about education as he is about research. During his tenure at Johns Hopkins, he helped reform the curricula for graduate and medical education, spearheaded the development of the Center for Innovation in Graduate Biomedical Education, and launched a program offering summer research experiences to local high school students, many from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. In addition, he advised dozens of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Lorsch received a B.A. in chemistry from Swarthmore College in 1990 and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University in 1995, where he worked in the laboratory of Jack Szostak, Ph.D. He conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University in the laboratory of Daniel Herschlag, Ph.D.

Lorsch is the author of more than 80 peer-reviewed research articles, book chapters, and other papers. He has also been the editor of six volumes of Methods in Enzymology and has been a reviewer for numerous scientific journals. He is the author on two awarded U.S. patents. His honors include six teaching awards from Johns Hopkins.

Lorsch’s other activities have included membership on the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s mentoring committee, the RNA Society’s board of directors, and NIH review committees.

Since joining NIH, he has taken on several leadership roles, including serving as a co-chair on the NIH Scientific Data Council, the Extramural Activities Working Group, and the NIH UNITE-E committee; and as a member of the Administrative Data Council.

NIGMS Directors

Major Programs

Division of Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences

The Division of Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB) facilitates advances in basic biomedical research by supporting the development of experimental and computational methods and tools for understanding basic biology; implementation of novel technologies and approaches in the study of macromolecular, organelle and cellular structure and function; and application of innovative physical and theoretical methodologies, bioinformatics tools, and sophisticated quantitative approaches to lay a foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

The long-term goals of the division are to leverage data, methods, and technologies to answer fundamental biological questions, to develop a more robust infrastructure for the biomedical research community, and to promote and facilitate the development and use of new biophysical, computational, and experimental technologies in biomedical research.

The division has three components: the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Branch, the Biomedical Technology Branch, and the Biophysics Branch.

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Branch

Biomedical Technology Branch

This branch supports research to discover, create, and develop innovative technologies to enable discoveries in biomedical research. Areas of interest include computational infrastructure, molecular and cellular imaging and dynamics, technologies to elucidate structural and functional biology, methods to engineer and manipulate cells, and bioanalytical technologies to interrogate cellular composition and function. The branch also supports centers and resources that provide the research community access to biomedical technologies.

Biophysics Branch

This branch supports research that applies quantitative principles and techniques to elucidate structures and structure-function relationships in fundamental biology. Areas of emphasis include application of physical and theoretical concepts to biological problems from the molecular to cellular level and development of improved methods of measurement and analysis for use by the broader biomedical research community. Of interest are new applications of established techniques and the modification of existing instrumentation to yield improved resolution, sensitivity, or accuracy.

Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

The Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB) supports research to understand the structure and function of cells and cellular components, and the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie inheritance, gene expression, and development. The results of this research form the foundation for advances in diagnosing, preventing, treating, and curing a wide variety of diseases. Most of the projects supported by the division make use of research organisms, which advance the general understanding of biological processes. In most cases, research whose overall goal is to gain knowledge about a specific organ or organ system or the pathophysiology, treatment, or cure of a specific disease or condition is not supported by the GMCDB Division.

The division has three components: the Cell Biology Branch, the Developmental and Cellular Processes Branch, and the Genetic Mechanisms Branch.

Cell Biology Branch

This branch supports studies on the molecular basis of cellular function in a wide range of cell types and research organisms. Research topics include plasma and intracellular membrane systems and functions; protein processing, membrane trafficking, and intracellular transport; cellular aspects of protein folding; organelle biogenesis, inheritance, and dynamics; cell division; cytoskeletal structure and function; cellular organization, motility, and mechanics; cell adhesion and signaling; cell-cell junctions and interactions; mechanisms of cell death; and cellular signaling in growth.

Developmental and Cellular Processes Branch

This branch supports studies on the genetic and biochemical pathways that cells utilize in development and in normal physiological processes. Research topics include stem cell biology; developmental genetics; developmental signaling; genetics of behavior and circadian biology; chromosome structure and epigenetic regulation of gene expression; population genetics and evolution; adaptive responses to stress and nutrients; microbiome, biofilms, and quorum sensing; and organismal response to the environment.

Genetic Mechanisms Branch

This branch supports studies on the mechanism and regulation of basic molecular processes. Research topics include DNA and RNA metabolism (i.e., replication, modification, and repair); transcription and gene regulatory networks; coding and noncoding RNA mechanisms of action and function; protein synthesis; the genetic basis of human biology; and chromosomal and genome stability.

Along with its research and research training activities, the division supports the NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository, which maintains and distributes to research scientists cell lines and DNA samples from people with and without genetic disorders.

Division of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry

The Division of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry (PPBC) supports a broad spectrum of research aimed at obtaining a molecular-level understanding of biological processes and approaches to their control. Research funded takes a multifaceted approach to problems in pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, and biological chemistry that are very fundamental in nature.

The division has three components: the Physiology and Clinical Sciences Branch, the Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Branch, and the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Branch. In addition to the research areas listed below, all branches also offer funding for investigators interested in the NIGMS Technology Development programs and in the Collaborative Program Grants for Multidisciplinary Teams.

Physiology and Clinical Sciences Branch

This branch supports basic and clinical research studies in the areas of anesthesia and pain; drug metabolism, transport, and kinetics; host inflammatory responses in selected clinical research areas​; injury and critical illness syndromes; multi-organ physiology; packaging and delivery of molecules and biologics; sepsis (see NOT-GM-19-054 for NIGMS priorities); and wound healing. The branch also offers limited funding for Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials in specific Clinical Research Areas that fit within the mission of NIGMS.

Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Branch

This branch supports basic research studies in the areas of bioenergetics and mitochondria; cell surface receptors​ and ion channe​ls; enzyme mechanisms, regulation, and inhibition; intercellular communications and blockers; ​intermediary metabolism and catalysis; intracellular mediators of signal transduction; membrane composition, lipids, and scaffolding; metalloenzyme mechanisms; redox reactions in biology; and trace metal homeostasis.

Chemistry and Chemical Biology Branch

This branch supports basic research studies in the areas of chemical biology; chemical catalysis and reactions; design and synthesis of chemical probes; glycosciences; metallocatalysis; natural products discovery and analysis; synthetic biology; synthesis of complex molecules; and technology development, including chemical tools.

Division for Research Capacity Building

DRCB is composed of four programs: Institutional Development Award (IDeA), Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH), ​Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA), and Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) program. The Division also participates in the STTR initiative to build and strengthen entrepreneurship and regional collaboration among IDeA states through the I-RED program.

IDeA

This program broadens the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical research by supporting competitive basic, clinical, and translational research; biomedical research workforce development; and infrastructure improvements in states in which the aggregate success rate for applications to NIH has historically been low. IDeA aims to strengthen institutions' ability to support biomedical research, enhance the competitiveness of investigators in securing research funding, and catalyze clinical and translational research that addresses the needs of IDeA state populations. The program also increases the competitiveness of investigators by supporting faculty development and research infrastructure enhancement.

NARCH

This program funds federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes and organizations for health research, research career enhancement, and research infrastructure enhancement activities.

SEPA

This program supports educational activities that encourage pre-college students (pre-kindergarten to grade 12) from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). SEPA funds projects that are classroom-based for pre-college students and teachers or informal science education (ISE) projects conducted in outside-the-classroom venues such as science centers, museums and libraries.

SuRE

This program supports research capacity building at eligible higher education institutions through funding investigator-initiated research in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences that falls in the mission areas of the NIH.

Division of Training and Workforce Development

The Division of Training and Workforce Development (TWD) programs foster the training and development of a strong biomedical research workforce. The division supports leadership in training the next generation of scientists and broadening participation in the scientific workforce through a variety of programs at the undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, faculty and institutional levels. The branches and programs are listed below. The programs may also be viewed by career stage. Contact names for these branches and applicable program directors are listed on the Contacts by Research Area page. Funded programs are found on the TWD Dashboard.

The division has three components: the Undergraduate and Predoctoral Cross-Disciplinary Training Branch; the Predoctoral Basic Biomedical and Medical Science Training Programs Branch; and the Postdoctoral, Early Career, and Workforce Development Branch.

Cross-Disciplinary Pathway Programs (CPP) Branch

This branch manages individual fellowship, institutional research training, and research education grants to support undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and predoctoral cross-disciplinary research training, and to develop the capabilities of institutions to train these individuals​.

Discipline Specific Training (DST) Branch Branch

This branch manages individual predoctoral fellowships as well as institutional basic biomedical research training and medical science training programs to develop the capabilities of institutions to train students.

Postdoctoral, Early Career, and Workforce Development Branch

This branch manages competitive individual and institutional research training grants at the postdoctoral level, as well as career development awards. The branch also manages research project grants, professional meetings, research education grants and diversity supplements to promote workforce development across the career pathway​.

Division of Extramural Activities

The Division of Extramural Activities is responsible for the grant-related activities of the Institute, including the receipt, referral, and review of applications as well as grant funding and management. Its staff maintains an overview of the Institute's scientific and financial status and advises the NIGMS director and other key staff on policy matters and on the planning, development, and scientific administration of Institute research and training programs. It also acts as a liaison with other NIH components for activities relating to grant policy, extramural procedures, application assignments, and foreign grant awards.