The foundation, goals, and components of the research strategy developed by the National Institutes of Health to combat AIDS and HIV infection are discussed. The AIDS research agenda, based on systems originally designed to coordinate cancer research, involves a national effort to study various aspects of the disease, disseminate information, and rapidly develop and test drugs and vaccines to treat and prevent AIDS and HIV disease. AIDS research makes up approximately 10% of the total NIH budget of $7.6 billion, and the largest portion of that allocation goes to improving current treatments and developing new agents. Drug discovery efforts are supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) through the Division of Intramural Research, in which biomedical and clinical research is conducted, and the Division of AIDS, which coordinates extramural research in university-based centers and community programs. By providing educational materials and sponsoring conferences, NIAID also helps to disseminate the results of the research it coordinates. Pharmacists support AIDS research through their involvement with study drug products and their role in protocol development, regulatory affairs, product development, and accumulation and distribution of drug information. Research initiatives sponsored by the federal government combine resources of investigators from government, academia, and the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries to meet the challenges posed by the AIDS epidemic.