NICHD Research Priorities

NICHD funds research in areas relevant to typical and atypical human development, including contraception, fertilization, pregnancy, childbirth, prenatal and postnatal development, childhood development through adolescence, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and rehabilitation medicine.

If you have questions about projects within a specific research area, you can find an NICHD program officer (PDF 261 KB) to contact with questions.

Researchers with disabilities in biomedical research who are supported by or are seeking support from extramural awards should visit NIH's Resources for Researchers with Disabilities section to find information on funding opportunities, relevant grant policies and requirements, peer review, guidance on notifying NIH of potential harassment or discrimination, how to improve accessibility, and more.

Grant applications and project proposals must fall within the missions of the scientific branches of NICHD's Division of Extramural Research (DER) or its National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, and must align with research priorities outlined in the NICHD Strategic Plan.

Priority areas for each branch and for the Center are provided on their homepages. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to visit these pages for recent scientific advances and emerging public health topics. For more information about NICHD's research themes, cross-cutting topics, and aspirational goals, visit the plan's Scientific Research Themes and Objectives.

DER Scientific Branches

National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research