Overview of RCDC

RCDC (Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization) is a computerized reporting process the National Institutes of Health (NIH) uses to categorize its funding in medical research at the end of each fiscal year. The NIH reports funding to the public for many categories. RCDC also provides funding data for categories, beyond the public categories, that are used for NIH internal planning and analysis.

RCDC provides:

• A complete list of funded research projects by category
• Consistent category definitions applied to all projects each year
• A clear and efficient process for categorizing and reporting on NIH funding

RCDC reports on three types of NIH funding:

• Research grants (extramural research)
• Research and development (R&D) contracts
• Research conducted in NIH's own laboratories and clinics (intramural research)

A category can include a:

• Research area such as neuroscience,
• Disease such as asthma, or
• Condition such as chronic pain.

In January 2009, the NIH added the RCDC reports to the RePORT Web site (http://report.nih.gov). Some of the funding amounts that RCDC reports might differ from NIH reports issued in the past. The reason for the difference is that RCDC is sorting funded research using a new method. The way the NIH budgets and spends tax dollars throughout the year stays the same.

For more information, please contact rcdc@mail.nih.gov.