National Eye Institute (NIH)

The National Eye Institute (NEI) is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mission of NEI is to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research. NEI consists of two major branches for research: an extramural branch that funds studies outside NIH and an intramural branch that funds research on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of the NEI budget funds extramural research. NEI was established in 1968 as the nation's leading supporter of eye health and vision research projects. These projects include basic science research into the fundamental biology of the eye and the visual system. NEI also funds translational and clinical research aimed at developing and testing therapies for eye diseases and disorders.