NIH encourages and depends on public involvement in federally supported research and activities. NIH’s wide-ranging public efforts include outreach and education, nationwide events, requests for public input on NIH projects, and special programs designed specifically to involve public representatives in clinical research.

Public Involvement with NIH

NIH engages in a wide range of outreach efforts, including nationwide events, requests for public input on NIH projects, and special programs designed specifically to involve public representatives in the clinical research enterprise.

Community Liaison Opportunities

The Office of Community Liaison has a long standing partnership with the Bethesda/Chevy Chase community, and is dedicated to serving the interests and well-being of the NIH neighborhood and its neighbors.

Volunteer

• NIH Clinical Center: Volunteer Opportunities
  Volunteer Training, FAQs, Contact Us
• NLM History of Medicine Volunteer Program
  Volunteer Training, FAQs, Contact Us
• Volunteering Throughout the Federal Government
  Find opportunities throughout the federal government on USA.gov — Type "volunteering" into the search box.

Clinical Studies

Clinical studies are medical research studies in which people participate as volunteers. Clinical research studies (sometimes called trials or protocols) are a means of developing new treatments and medications for diseases and conditions.

• Clinical Research Trials and You
  Learn about clinical trials, how to participate, and how clinical research helps NIH advance science and improve health.
• Clinical studies conducted at NIH
  Participate in clinical studies at the NIH Clinical Center.
• Nationwide clinical trials
  Easy access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies on a wide range of diseases and conditions.
• Office of Advocacy Relations
  The National Cancer Institute's Office of Advocacy Relations works serves as a conduit between NCI and the cancer advocacy community.

Healthy Volunteers

Healthy volunteers provide researchers with important information for comparison with people who have specific illnesses. Every year, nearly 3,500 healthy volunteers participate in studies at NIH. Learn how to become a healthy volunteer at NIH.

NIH Office of Science Education

Explore the Office of Science Education's resources for the public.

NIH Outreach and Education

NIH Communications

There are communication offices at each of our 27 Institutes and Centers. The Office of Communications & Public Liaison (OCPL) in the Office of the Director speaks for NIH as a whole.

NIH communication offices provide information on NIH programs and activities to the public, scientific community, medical profession, and the media.

• NIH News — current press releases
• NIH Research Matters — weekly research news
• NIH News in Health — monthly consumer health newsletter
• NIH Calendar of Events — scientific meetings
• Selected NIH Education and Awareness Campaigns
• NIH Record — employee newsletter
• Freedom of Information Act Office (FOIA)
• Visitor tours

Scientific Research and Training Opportunities

The NIH sponsors programs for students in

• high school;
• college/university;
• graduate school and medical/dental school;

as well as researchers doing postbaccalaureate work. See also the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES), a non-profit organization sponsoring continuing medical education for physicians.

Science Education for All Ages

Our STEM Teaching Resources site offers free STEM education materials (grades pre-K through 12) created by the institutes and centers within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and recipients of the NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program.

Small Business Opportunities

If you're a small business interested in contracting at NIH, please start by reading the information provided by our parent Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.

The HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is fully dedicated to supporting every small business entity (which includes minority, women-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned and HUBZone companies), in their pursuit of health-related contracts.

Visit Research Opportunities for Small Businesses (SBIR/STTR) to learn about NIH, CDC, and FDA research funding opportunities for qualified United States small businesses to engage in Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization.

Check out the OSDBU Calendar of Events for Conferences, Workshops, Seminars and Expos.