The General Clinical Research Centers (GCRCs) are a national network of approximately 78 centers usually located in units within hospitals of academic medical centers. Their primary mission is to provide a reseach infrastucture for clinical investigators who receive their primary support from NIH components as well as other Federal agencies.

These resources include specialized research nurses, research dieticians, biostatisticians, computer hardware and software systems for data management and analysis, and sophisticated laboratories vital for both inpatient and outpatient research.