With increasing attention being given to the effects of concussion and other brain injuries on athletes, the National Football League (NFL) is donating $30 million to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) fund research on serious medical conditions prominent in athletes. This is the largest philanthropic gift in the league's 92-year history.

The contribution will help fund a new Sports and Health Research Program, which will be conducted in collaboration with institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Potential research subjects include: chronic traumatic encephalopathy; concussion; understanding the potential relationship between traumatic brain injury and late life neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease; chronic degenerative joint disease; the transition from acute to chronic pain; sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes; and heat and hydration-related illness and injury.

The FNIH is hoping other donors step foward.

Dr. Stephanie James, FNIH acting executive director and CEO, said the research will benefit the general public as well as athletes.

About the FNIH

The Foundation for the NIH was established by the United States Congress to support the mission of the NIH — improving health through scientific discovery in the search for cure.

About the NIH

A component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH is the nation's medical research agency. It supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.