NIAMS National Institute of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

About Our Strategic Plan

NIAMS MISSION

The NIAMS mission is to support research into 

the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis

and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; training 

of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this 

research; and dissemination of information on 

research progress in these diseases.

STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL

The goal of the plan is to advance and 

accelerate research into the causes, treatment,

and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal

and skin diseases. The ultimate goal of these 

efforts is to develop patient-centered, 

personalized ways to improve outcomes and 

thereby “turn discovery into health.”

CROSS-CUTTING THEMES 

AND RESEARCH AREAS 

Many scientific challenges and opportunities 

within the NIAMS mission are not unique to 

any one field, disease, or scientific or clinical 

discipline. Rather, they transcend disease- and 

tissue-specific boundaries, have broad impact 

across many diseases and conditions, and can 

therefore serve as a framework to organize 

science across the assorted fields within the 

Institute’s purview. In addition to four crosscutting themes, the Institute’s research portfolio 

includes five core areas: Systemic Rheumatic 

and Autoimmune Diseases; Skin Biology and 

Diseases; Bone Biology and Diseases; 

Muscle Biology and Diseases; and Joint Biology, 

Diseases, and Orthopaedics.

NIAMS 

MISSION 

Shared mechanisms

in health and 

among diseases 

Patient-centric 

approaches 

to health and 

disease

Health and 

disease 

in diverse 

populations

Precision medicine 

for arthritis and 

musculoskeletal 

and skin diseases 
SYSTEMIC RHEUMATIC AND 

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES RESEARCH

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• GENETICS, FUNCTIONAL

GENOMICS, AND EPIGENETICS

• MECHANISMS OF

RHEUMATIC DISEASES

• TARGET ORGAN DAMAGE

• PRECLINICAL AND

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

• CLINICAL RESEARCH

• BEHAVIORAL AND

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL RESEARCH

PROGRAM SUMMARY

NIAMS Systemic Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases programs 

address basic, translational, and clinical research, including 

clinical trials and observational and mechanistic studies, focused 

on immune-mediated arthritis and autoimmune-related acute 

and chronic disorders in adults and children. Many of these 

diseases disproportionately affect women and groups historically

underrepresented in biomedical research. While the underlying 

causes for these differences are largely unknown, progress is 

occurring in understanding them and translating that knowledge 

into effective treatments. The results of NIAMS-funded research 

have paved the way for biologic therapies for systemic rheumatic

and autoimmune diseases. These therapies have improved 

outcomes and quality of life for many patients, highlighting the 

importance of fundamental research in improving health. 

Going forward, NIAMS will continue to build on this progress 

to further understanding of systemic rheumatic and autoimmune 

diseases and to develop even more effective and personalized 

treatment approaches.

• Arthritis Biology Program

• Rheumatic Diseases Integrative Biology Research Program

• Scleroderma, Fibrosis, and Autoinflammatory Disease Program

• Systemic Autoimmune Disease Biology Program

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT

Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) in rheumatoid 

arthritis and lupus

NIAMS is participating in the AMP in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 

and lupus, one component of a public private partnership among 

NIH, the Foundation for the NIH, biopharmaceutical companies, 

and nonprofit organizations. The network is adapting cutting-edge, 

high-throughput technologies to analyze single immune and 

tissue cells from organs affected by RA and lupus. Through the 

AMP, researchers are identifying and defining shared and diseasespecific biological pathways that scientists can study to identify 

relevant drug targets for treating autoimmune diseases. 

For More information

Read the full NIAMS Strategic Plan: 

https://www.niams.nih.gov/about-niams/

strategic-plan-fiscal-years-2020-2024

NIAMS Website: www.niams.nih.gov

Contact NIAMS: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov