The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), located in Jodhpur, was originally established on 27 June 1984 as the Desert Medicine Research Centre (DMRC). It was later renamed the National Institute for Implementation Research on Non-Communicable Diseases (NIIRNCD) on 7 December 2019, and redesignated as NIHR on 29 April 2026.

The Institute houses state-of-the-art facilities for conducting basic laboratory-based research in microbiology, biochemistry, and vector biology. It is also actively strengthening its capacity and workforce to advance implementation research in non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Currently, NIHR comprises a team of dedicated scientists and technical experts, supported by administrative and operational staff. The Institute’s key focus areas include cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, environmental health, nutritional disorders, cancers, injury and trauma, mental health conditions, including substance use disorders, genetic disorders, and other NCDs of public health significance in India.

NIHR aims to generate high-impact implementation research across these domains, build capacity through specialized training programmes, and develop effective behaviour change communication strategies to address NCD risk factors. The Institute welcomes collaboration with academic and research institutions, as well as individual researchers committed to advancing public health in alignment with national health priorities.