Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§285i–1 Clinical research on eye care and diabetes

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES › Part Part C— - Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes › Subpart subpart 9— - national eye institute › § 285i–1

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director of the Institute can give research grants to Diabetes Eye Research Institutions to support clinical and health programs for people with diabetes. The grants must help provide full eye care (prevention, diagnosis, and treatment), create better patient care methods through research, move new research into everyday clinical use, and grow knowledge about the eye and diabetes. Grant money can pay for studies of the biochemical, cellular, and genetic causes of diabetic eye disease and for earlier detection. Those studies must involve eye doctors trained in modern molecular and cell biology methods. Grants can also fund new technologies (for example, video-based tools) to improve care, study how the retina works in diabetes, assess risks and test therapies faster, turn research into real patient care across clinics and labs, and study treatment and education outcomes. Equipment needed for this research can be bought with the funds.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §285i–1

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Director of the Institute, in consultation with the advisory council for the Institute, may award research grants to one or more Diabetes Eye Research Institutions for the support of programs in clinical or health services aimed at—

(1)providing comprehensive eye care services for people with diabetes, including a full complement of preventive, diagnostic and treatment procedures;

(2)developing new and improved techniques of patient care through basic and clinical research;

(3)assisting in translation of the latest research advances into clinical practice; and

(4)expanding the knowledge of the eye and diabetes through further research.

(b)Amounts received under a grant awarded under this section shall be used for the following:

(1)Establishing the biochemical, cellular, and genetic mechanisms associated with diabetic eye disease and the earlier detection of pending eye abnormalities. The focus of work under this paragraph shall require that ophthalmologists have training in the most up-to-date molecular and cell biological methods.

(2)Establishing new frontiers in technology, such as video-based diagnostic and research resources, to—

(A)provide improved patient care;

(B)provide for the evaluation of retinal physiology and its affect on diabetes; and

(C)provide for the assessment of risks for the development and progression of diabetic eye disease and a more immediate evaluation of various therapies aimed at preventing diabetic eye disease.

(3)The translation of the results of vision research into the improved care of patients with diabetic eye disease. Such translation shall require the application of institutional resources that encompass patient care, clinical research and basic laboratory research.

(4)The conduct of research concerning the outcomes of eye care treatments and eye health education programs as they relate to patients with diabetic eye disease, including the evaluation of regional approaches to such research.

(c)The purposes for which a grant under subsection (a) may be expended include equipment for the research described in such subsection.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 285i–1

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73