NIH Work/Life Resources

Whether you are at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the summer, for a year, for five years, or for the foreseeable future, the NIH is dedicated to providing a strong infrastructure to support you.

  • Banking
  • Cafeterias: Full-service cafeterias, cafes, and convenience shops are located in multiple buildings, with 4 locations in the NIH Clinical Center.
  • Campus Map and Parking: The map identifies visitor and employee parking lots and pedestrian and vehicle access points to campus, as well as identifying all of our buildings, which are numbered rather than named, typically.
  • Child Care Services: The NIH sponsors several child care centers in the Bethesda area and also maintains a referral system for the community, given the demand for spots and a sometimes lengthy wait list. We subsidize child care for qualified individuals and provide resources for parents. The NIH also offers a child and dependent back-up care program to assist employees when they need to be at work and their regular child or adult/elder care is unavailable.
  • For Employees: A searchable A to Z listing, this site provides links for everything from shuttle schedules, payroll, e-mail, and ID badge services to employee event schedules, snow-closing status and seasonal reminders.
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP): The EAP provides professional consultation services for employees who are experiencing personal issues that may have an impact on their work performance. The program offers assessment, referral, short-term counseling, and follow-up for employees confronted with family and marital issues, substance abuse, stress, depression, work-related issues, and any other emotional challenges. The EAP is a free and confidential service.
  • Employee Directory
  • Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES): The FAES is dedicated to promoting advanced education in the sciences and supporting biomedical research within the NIH intramural program.
  • Health, Fitness & Well-Being Programs: NIH employee wellness and fitness programs to support your well-being at work.
  • Housing: Maintained by the Recreation & Welfare Association, this site contains information about apartments and houses for rent near the NIH campus.
  • Lactation Program: The NIH Lactation Program services are free. You will need to register to take advantage of consultations, classes, and lactation rooms.
  • Moving: The NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education has an all-inclusive Moving Guide that will answer many of your questions, whether you are relocating from abroad or another state in the U.S.
  • NIH Federal Credit Union: All NIH personnel and their families are welcome to become members of the NIH Federal Credit Union. Services include share loans, personal loans, share accounts, checking accounts, automated teller machines (ATM), and more.
  • NIH Institute and Center Abbreviations: The NIH uses many acronyms, which will be unfamiliar to newcomers. Learning our Institute and Center names is a good place to begin.
  • NIH Loan Repayment Program
  • Ombudsman: Located in the Center for Cooperative Resolution, the Ombudsman staff provide independent, neutral and entirely confidential services to assist individuals in resolving conflicts, addressing concerns, and pursuing grievances.
  • Transportation: Learn here about the DC area’s Metro (subway) and bus system, how you may get your transportation costs covered through the NIH Transhare program, campus parking information, shuttle services, parking permit information, and location of bicycle lockers and showers .

For more information on the NIH and the Washington metropolitan area, please visit the following Web sites:

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This page was last updated on Monday, January 8, 2024