"Per its website, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is "the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research". Its mission is "science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability". The agency's goals are as follows: (1) Foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications as a basis to advance significantly the Nation's capacity to protect and improve health; (2) Develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will assure the Nation's capability to prevent disease; (3) Expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nation's economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research; and (4) Exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science. (http://www.nih.gov/)