Research on disease prevention is an important part of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission. The Institutes and Centers have a
broad portfolio of prevention research and training, as well as programs to
disseminate the findings to scientists as well as health professionals,
communities, and the public. Approximately one-quarter of the overall NIH
budget is devoted to research on disease prevention and health promotion.
Ultimately, knowledge gained from NIH supported prevention research enables the
application of sound science into clinical practice, health policy, and
community health programs, thereby improving the health of the public.
To understand the wide range of NIH supported projects and
programs in prevention, one can think about the overall research process as
advancing through several phases of discovery, from basic to applied research,
for the purpose of advancing the application of knowledge. Strategic planning
for prevention research conducted or supported by the NIH progresses through
the same fundamental continuum (see figure): 1) hypothesis development, 2)
methods development, 3) controlled intervention trials, 4) defined population
studies, and 5) implementation projects. It is important to note that this
depiction of the research continuum is a simplified generalization, and
individual NIH Institutes and Centers may customize the prevention research
process to best reflect their missions and the state of knowledge in their
programs. At each phase of the continuum, new data are obtained that inform the
research to be conducted by scientists at the next phase of study. In addition,
knowledge gained at each phase leads to refinements in questions being
addressed in earlier phases. Along the entire continuum, the NIH devotes
resources to educate and train the next generation of prevention scientists,
with particular attention to the development of individuals from
underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Educating the public and health
professionals to inform them on scientific advances and ways to improve health
is also a critical part of the overall research mission. Otherwise, the NIH
research mission could not be completely fulfilled.
NIH-supported studies that test a given intervention under a
controlled environment serve as an important source of information for agencies
that conduct intervention projects and provide services in the real world
setting. Many organizations use the results of NIH research as a means of
defining new initiatives to translate evidence into best practices, effective
health policy, and appropriate regulations. Moreover, the NIH collaborates with
these other Federal and non-Federal agencies to ensure that they have the
information they need to develop prevention programs that are based on sound
scientific evidence.
August 2001
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