About OIR

The National Institutes of Health is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems, and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. Within this framework, the mission of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR) is to enable the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) to:

1. Conduct distinctive, high-impact laboratory, clinical, and population-based research
2. Facilitate new approaches to improve the health though prevention, diagnosis and treatment
3. Respond to public health emergencies
4. Train the next generation of biomedical researchers.

About the NIH Office of Intramural Research

The Office of Intramural Research (OIR) is responsible for the development and implementation of NIH-wide projects and policies, as well as the oversight and coordination of intramural research, training, and technology transfer conducted within the laboratories and clinics of the National Institutes of Health. NIH’s intramural facilities are located on the main campus in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; Frederick, Maryland; Hamilton, Montana; and Phoenix, Arizona. Organizationally, the individual laboratories and sections answer to the 24 Institute- and Center-based intramural programs within NIH, which conduct applied and basic biomedical research in particular disease or subject areas.

Leadership of the NIH OIR comprises of the NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR) and a cadre of senior representatives for all intramural activities.

In addition to the immediate staff and advisors of the Office of Intramural Research, OIR oversees several Offices.