Established more than 100 years ago, the NIH is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. As the country’s biomedical medical research agency, it strives to make health-based discoveries in order to save lives. In order to fulfill its mission, the NIH consists of 27 separate institutes and centers.
One event sponsored by the NIH is its annual Research Festival, with the 2016 event scheduled for September 14-16. This 30th annual festival takes place at the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. In previous years, attendees partook in workshops on drug resistance, vaccines, and cell-based therapies; plenary sessions, and poster sessions. The festival typically includes a NIH Library open house as well as an exhibit tent show, where local and national biomedical research exhibitors highlight their services and state-of-the-art equipment.