National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research, and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases.

• Extramural Program (EP)
  The staff of the Extramural Program is dedicated to our research community. We administer the grants and contracts to support research and research training in the scientific areas and clinical research advancing the treatment of arthritis, musculoskeletal and skin diseases.
  
  
• Intramural Research Program (IRP)
  The missions of the Intramural Research Program of NIAMS are to conduct innovative basic and translational research relevant to the health concerns of the Institute and to provide training for investigators interested in careers in these areas. The ultimate goals are to provide new insights into the normal function of joints, skin and muscle and diseases that affect them and to generate a cadre of well-trained investigators equipped to continue the progress to a complete understanding of these structures and disease conditions that affect them adversely. Intramural investigators pursue diverse projects in biomedical research ranging from fundamental analyses of protein structure and function involving crystallography, cryoelectron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, through protein chemistry, cell biology, signal transduction, gene regulation, tissue development and differentiation, genetics and immunology to more directly applicable research on the genetics, etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of a variety of rheumatic, autoimmune, inflammatory, joint, skin and muscle diseases