About Our Strategic Plan

NIAMS

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal 

and Skin Diseases

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.”

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
SYSTEMIC RHEUMATIC AND AUTOIMMUNE 

DISEASES RESEARCH

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. 

SKIN BIOLOGY AND DISEASES RESEARCH

NIAMS Skin Biology and Diseases programs support 

basic, translational, and clinical research in skin, 

including both common and rare skin diseases. These 

programs include investigations of the basic molecular, 

cellular, and developmental biology of skin, as well as

studies of skin as an immune, sensory, endocrine, 

and metabolic organ. 

BONE BIOLOGY AND DISEASES RESEARCH

NIAMS Bone Biology and Diseases programs support 

research on the control of bone formation, resorption, 

and mineralization as well as the effects of signaling 

molecules on bone cells. They support clinical studies 

of interventions to prevent fractures associated 

with osteoporosis and research into less common 

bone diseases.

MUSCLE BIOLOGY AND DISEASES RESEARCH

NIAMS Muscle Biology and Diseases programs encourage 

research on muscle developmental biology, growth, 

maintenance, and hypertrophy; physiology of contraction; 

structural biology of the contractile apparatus; disease 

mechanisms; biomarkers and outcome measures; 

and development and clinical testing of therapies for 

conditions including the muscular dystrophies.

JOINT BIOLOGY, DISEASES, AND 

ORTHOPAEDICS RESEARCH

NIAMS Joint Biology, Diseases, and Orthopaedics 

programs support a broad spectrum of research centered 

on the interplay among the body’s muscles, bones, and 

connective tissues. They encourage tissue engineering 

and regenerative medicine research, molecular biology, 

imaging, and clinical research, and the treatment and 

prevention of orthopaedic conditions.

CROSS-CUTTING SCIENTIFIC THEMES 

The Strategic Plan includes research objectives related to the Institute’s five disease- or tissue-specific areas. However, modern 

biomedical and behavioral research increasingly crosses those traditional disease- and tissue-specific boundaries. Many scientific 

challenges and opportunities within the NIAMS mission are not unique to any one field, disease, or scientific or clinical discipline. 

Therefore, the FYs 2020-2024 plan includes cross-cutting scientific themes relevant to many areas of the NIAMS mission. 

These themes provide a framework for understanding the convergence of ideas, knowledge, and approaches across fields.

NIAMS 

MISSION 

Precision medicine 

for arthritis and 

musculoskeletal 

and skin diseases 

Emerging technologies have 

yielded a wealth of data that 

can be integrated with 

clinical information to build 

sophisticated new models 

of health and disease. 

In the coming years, these 

approaches are expected 

to advance knowledge in 

many NIAMS mission areas 

and yield more personalized 

treatments for patients.

Shared mechanisms

in health and 

among diseases 

Increasingly, researchers are 

discovering commonalities 

among seemingly disparate 

diseases and revealing how 

basic processes, such as 

immunity, inflammation, 

regeneration, and metabolism, 

play a role in maintaining 

health or causing disease. 

The discovery of shared 

molecular, physiological, 

and behavioral components 

across different diseases is 

blurring the traditional 

boundaries of biomedical 

science. 

Patient-centric 

approaches 

to health and 

disease

Efforts to integrate the patient 

perspective into research 

have progressed significantly 

in recent years. New tools 

are available to capture 

patient-reported data for use 

in clinical trials and patient 

care. This integration offers 

promise for more holistic 

therapies to improve health 

and enhance the patient 

experience.

Health and 

disease 

in diverse 

populations

Different demographic groups 

often have distinct health 

concerns and disparities exist 

among groups regarding 

health outcomes for diseases 

within the NIAMS mission. 

To achieve the goal of 

improving public health, 

NIAMS-funded research must 

be applicable to health and 

disease in many populations.