National Eye Institute

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. This research is focused on developing therapies for leading causes of vision loss including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, myopia and amblyopia. NEI also funds research on many other causes of vision loss including retinitis pigmentosa, uveitis, retinal detachment, and rare eye diseases and disorders. Since its founding, NEI has supported the work of several Nobel Prize recipients, including Roger Y. Tsien (2008); Peter Agre (2003); David H. Hubel (1981); and Torsten Wiesel (1981).