Organization | NIEHS

Printable Chart of NIEHS Organizational Structure

Office of the Director

The Office of the Director provides leadership, coordinates initiatives, and oversees the scientific research, administration, and communications for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and National Toxicology Program (NTP).

  • Environmental Science Cyberinfrastructure
  • Information Technology
  • Legislative Liaison
  • Office of the Deputy Director
  • Office of Scientific Coordination, Planning and Evaluation (SCOPE)

Office of Management

The Office of Management supports NIEHS and NTP scientific missions by providing a broad range of management services, logistics and infrastructure.

  • Administrative Management Branch
  • Administrative Services & Analysis Branch
  • Ethics
  • Financial Management Branch
  • Library & Information Services
  • Office of Acquisitions
  • Operations & Security Branch
  • Safety and Environmental Protection Branch

Division of Intramural Research

In-house, or intramural, research is performed by scientists employed by the federal government who have laboratories at NIEHS. Our intramural scientists collaborate extensively with partners in other institutes, agencies, and academia. Research at NIEHS is conducted and supported by the following Branches and Laboratories:

  • Administrative and Research Services Branch
  • Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch
  • Clinical Research Branch
  • Comparative Medicine Branch
  • Epidemiology Branch
  • Epigenetic and RNA Biology Laboratory
  • Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory
  • Immunity, Inflammation, and Disease Laboratory
  • Molecular & Cellular Biology Laboratory
  • Neurobiology Laboratory
  • Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory

Division of Translational Toxicology

The Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT) is an intramural division at NIEHS. DTT scientists use a variety of traditional and cutting-edge approaches to better understand how factors in our environment may impact our health. Our scientists work in multidisciplinary teams and collaboratively with scientists in other federal agencies, institutes, industry, and academia.

DTT's mission is to improve public health through data and knowledge development that are translatable, predictive, and timely. This is accomplished by achieving the following goals:

  • Collaborate with public stakeholders and global partners to identify and address public health issues.
  • Generate and communicate trusted scientific information to support decision making on environmental hazards of public interest.
  • Lead the transformation of toxicology through the development and application of innovative tools and science.
  • Educate and train the next generation of translational scientists to be innovative leaders in the field.

DTT rolled out a strategic research framework in late 2020 to guide the division's work.

Much of the work carried out by DTT is in support of the National Toxicology Program (NTP), an interagency partnership of the Food and Drug Administration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and NIEHS. DTT activities supporting NTP include toxicology testing, laboratory research, and literature-based assessments. It also includes oversight of NTP communications, databases, website, advisory groups, and the peer review of draft NTP products.

DTT scientists contribute to NTP report and monograph series and publish findings in the NIEHS report series and peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Divisional Organization

DTT is comprised of five branches, as well as the four offices in the Scientific Director's Office.

  • Branches:
    • Comparative & Molecular Pathogenesis Branch
    • Integrative Health Assessments Branch
    • Mechanistic Toxicology Branch
    • Predictive Toxicology Branch
    • Systems Toxicology Branch
  • Offices of the Scientific Director:
    • Office of Policy, Review, and Outreach
    • Office of Portfolio Strategy and Research Management
    • Office of Program Operations

Division of Extramural Research & Training

NIEHS funds a substantial portfolio of research in the field of environmental health sciences conducted by investigators in many disciplines from various organizations. These research activities span the range from basic mechanistic research to clinical and epidemiologic studies using human subjects. NIEHS-supported investigators are currently determining how environmental agents cause or exacerbate a variety of human diseases. NIEHS is also committed to developing the next generation of environmental health scientists by supporting a variety of interdisciplinary training programs.

Areas of Research Focus

Centers, Interagency Collaborations, and Consortia: NIEHS forms, funds, and maintains working relationships with other NIH institutes, federal agencies, research universities, and private organizations.  The programs that occur through centers, interagency collaborations, and consortia serve multidisciplinary interests or augment research beyond what the institute can support on its own.

Environmental Exposure Research: Single or multiple environmental exposures throughout the lifespan can influence the prevalence and severity of diseases. NIEHS-funded researchers are studying the health effects of exposure to air pollution, endocrine disruptors, nanomaterials, and other contaminants.

Epidemiology Resources: The NIEHS extramural division has made significant investments in environmental epidemiology studies that help scientists better understand how environmental exposures affect health during different stages of life.

Health Impacts Research: The institute’s extramural division supports a variety of programs and centers to address a range of environmental health issues and to better understand how environmental agents cause or exacerbate human diseases and disorders.

Researcher Centered: NIEHS develops future leaders in environmental health science through programs that help train new scientists and offer career development opportunities at universities and other institutions across the country.

Translational Science, Outreach, and Education: NIEHS promotes translational science through transdisciplinary research partnerships and small businesses. It also supports programs that provide public outreach, education, and occupational safety training. These efforts develop detection and measurement tools and materials, and increase understanding of how the environment is linked to and affects health across different population groups.

Branches

The Division of Extramural Research and Training plans, directs and evaluates the institute's grant program which supports research and research training in environmental health. It develops program priorities and recommends funding levels to assure maximum utilization of available resources in attainment of institute objectives. Through cooperative relationships with NIH and with public and private institutions and organizations, the Division maintains an awareness of national research efforts and assesses the need for research and research training in environmental health.

  • Exposure, Response and Technology Branch
  • Genes, Environment, and Health Branch
  • Grants Management Branch
  • Hazardous Substances Research Branch
  • Population Health Branch
  • Worker Education & Training Branch