Skip Navigation
National Institute of Environmental Health SciencesNational Institutes of Health
Increase text size Decrease text size Print this page

About NIEHS

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is one of 27 research institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (http://www.nih.gov/)Exit NIEHS Website, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (http://www.dhhs.gov/) Exit NIEHS Website. The mission of the NIEHS is to reduce the burden of human illness and disability by understanding how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.

NIEHS Building 101

The NIEHS traces its roots to 1966, when the U.S. Surgeon General announced the establishment of the Division of Environmental Health Sciences within the NIH. In 1969, the division was elevated to full NIH institute status. Since then, the NIEHS has evolved to its present status as a world leader in environmental health sciences, with an impressive record of important scientific accomplishments(http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/research/index.cfm) and a proud history of institutional achievements and growth.

Today, under the guidance of its 2006–2011 Strategic Plan (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/strategicplan/index.cfm), the NIEHS is expanding and accelerating its contributions to scientific knowledge of human health and the environment, and to the health and well-being of people everywhere.

We invite you to explore this section of the NIEHS Web site and discover more about the rich legacy and promising future of this Institute.

Back to top Back to top

USA.gov Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health
This page URL: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/index.cfm
NIEHS website: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
Email the Web Manager at webmanager@niehs.nih.gov
Last Reviewed: September 02, 2008