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ME/CFS Research
Research at NIH
Most clinical studies on ME/CFS and other diseases take place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, a unique hospital with multi-disciplinary state-of-the art research and diagnostic facilities. Research conducted by scientists on the NIH campus or at other NIH sites is called intramural.
NIH Intramural Study on ME/CFS
This study focused on post-infectious ME/CFS in order to closely examine the clinical and biological characteristics of the disease and improve our understanding of its cause and progression.
Research Outside NIH
The NIH also supports ME/CFS research that takes place at academic universities, hospitals, small businesses, foundations, and other entities. Research conducted by investigators who have been awarded grants through the NIH grant program is known as extramural. NIH RePORTER provides a list of active ME/CFS research projects.
ME/CFS Research Network
In 2017, the NIH awarded four grants for a total of $7 million per year to establish a coordinated scientific research effort on ME/CFS. The grants supported the creation of a consortium made up of three Collaborative Research Centers (CRCs) and a Data Management Coordinating Center (DMCC). The CRCs work collaboratively to define the cause(s) of and discover improved treatments for ME/CFS:
The DMCC, led by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, provides data management infrastructure and support to the CRCs to function optimally. They have developed a data sharing tool, called mapMECFS, and a query tool to access biospecimens for research on ME/CFS, called searchMECFS.
This page last reviewed on March 6, 2024