U.S. National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or NCCAM, a division of the National Institutes of Health within the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States federal government, was established in October, 1991, as the Office of Alternative Medicine, which was re-established as the NCCAM in October, 1998. Its mission statement declares that it is "dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science; training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers; and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals."

The NCCAM funds research into complementary and alternative medicine, including support for clinical trials of CAM techniques.

NCCAM and its predecessor, the Office of Alternative Medicine, have spent more than $200 million on such research since 1991 but have neither succeeded in demonstrating the efficacy of a single alternative method nor declared any alternative medicine treatment ineffective. [1]

Who We Are

What We Do

NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals.

Our four primary areas of focus are

• Research.
  We support clinical and basic science research projects in CAM by awarding grants across the country and around the world; we also design, study, and analyze clinical and laboratory-based studies on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.

• Research training and career development.
  We award grants that provide training and career development opportunities for predoctoral, postdoctoral, and career researchers.

• Outreach.
  We sponsor conferences, educational programs, and exhibits; operate an information clearinghouse to answer inquiries and requests for information; provide a Web site and printed publications; and hold town meetings at selected locations in the United States.

• Integration.
  To integrate scientifically proven CAM practices into conventional medicine, we announce published research results; study ways to integrate evidence-based CAM practices into conventional medical practice; and support programs to develop models for incorporating CAM into the curriculum of medical, dental, and nursing schools.

How We Operate

• NCCAM was established by Congress in 1998.
• NCCAM receives its funding from Congress. The appropriation for each fiscal year can be found at http://nccam.nih.gov/about/appropriations. NCCAM is organized into two divisions and eight offices. Descriptions of the divisions and offices can be found at http://nccam.nih.gov/about for the following:
  o Division of Extramural Research and Training (DERT)
  + Office of International Health Research
  + Office of Special Populations
  + Office of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs
  o Division of Intramural Research
  o Office of the Director
  o Executive Office
  + Office of Administrative Operations
  o Office of Communications and Public Liaison
  o Office of Science Policy and Operations
  o Office of Scientific Review