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ME/CFS Research
Research at NIH
Most clinical studies on ME/CFS and other diseases take place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, a unique hospital with multi-disciplinary state-of-the art research and diagnostic facilities. Research conducted by scientists on the NIH campus or at other NIH sites is called intramural.
NIH Intramural Study on ME/CFS
This study focused on post-infectious ME/CFS in order to closely examine the clinical and biological characteristics of the disease and improve our understanding of its cause and progression.
Research Outside NIH
The NIH also supports ME/CFS research that takes place at academic universities, hospitals, small businesses, foundations, and other entities. The studies, also called extramural research, are conducted by investigators who have been awarded grants through the NIH grant program. NIH-funded ME/CFS research projects are listed on the NIH RePORTER website.
ME/CFS Research Network
In 2017, the NIH awarded four grants for a total of $7 million per year to establish a coordinated scientific research effort on ME/CFS called the ME/CFS Research Network (ME/CFSnet). The grants supported the creation of a consortium made up of three Collaborative Research Centers (CRCs) and a Data Management Coordinating Center (DMCC). The centers work collaboratively to define the cause(s) of and discover improved treatments for ME/CFS. As of 2024, the NIH supports the following centers:
The DMCC, led by RTI International, provides data management infrastructure and support to the CRCs to function optimally. They developed a data sharing tool, called mapMECFS, and a query tool to access biospecimens for research on ME/CFS, called searchMECFS. The Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ICanCME) Research Network also participates in the consortium.
This page last reviewed on January 21, 2025