---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 285k"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "285k"
heading: "National Institute of General Medical Sciences"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/285k"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part C — Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes"
  - "Subpart 11 — national institute of general medical sciences"
---

# §285k. National Institute of General Medical Sciences

- (a) **General purpose—** The general purpose of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences is the conduct and support of research, training, and, as appropriate, health information dissemination, and other [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) with respect to general or basic medical sciences and related natural or behavioral sciences which have significance for two or more other national research institutes or are outside the general area of responsibility of any other national research institute.
- (b) **Institutional development award program—**
  - (1)
    - (A) In the case of entities described in [subparagraph (B)](#b-1-B), the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH, acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, shall establish a [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to enhance the competitiveness of such entities in obtaining funds from the national research institutes for conducting biomedical and behavioral research.
    - (B) The entities referred to in [subparagraph (A)](#b-1-A) are entities that conduct biomedical and behavioral research and are located in a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) in which the aggregate success rate for applications to the national research institutes for assistance for such research by the entities in the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) has historically constituted a low success rate of obtaining such funds, relative to such aggregate rate for such entities in other [States](/usc/42/201.md?p=f).
    - (C) With respect to enhancing competitiveness for purposes of [subparagraph (A)](#b-1-A), the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH, in carrying out the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) established under such subparagraph, may—
      - (i) provide technical assistance to the entities involved, including technical assistance in the preparation of applications for obtaining funds from the national research institutes;
      - (ii) assist the entities in developing a plan for biomedical or behavioral research proposals; and
      - (iii) assist the entities in implementing such plan.
  - (2) The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH shall establish a [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) of supporting [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) of biomedical or behavioral research whose principal researchers are individuals who have not previously served as the principal researchers of such [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) supported by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5).

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 461, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 857; amended Pub. L. 112–74, div. F, title II, § 221(b)(5), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1088.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section 282(g) of this title, which was transferred and redesignated as subsec. (b) of this section by Pub. L. 112–74, div. F, title II, § 221(b)(5)(B), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1088, was based on act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 402(g), as added Pub. L. 103–43, title II, § 202, June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 144.

### Amendments

2011—Pub. L. 112–74, § 221(b)(5)(A), substituted “National Institute of General Medical Sciences” for “Purpose of Institute” in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), and inserted subsec. heading.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–74, § 221(b)(5)(C)(i), (ii), inserted heading and realigned margins.

Pub. L. 112–74, § 221(b)(5)(B), transferred subsec. (g) of section 282 of this title and redesignated it as subsec. (b) of this section. See Codification note above.

Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 112–74, § 221(b)(5)(C)(iii), substituted “acting through the Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences” for “acting through the Director of the National Center for Research Resources”.