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Translations

Translations Office Overview

The mission of the NIH Library´s Translations Office is to provide accurate and reliable written translations of materials for NIH employees and contractors in support of their employment and research.

Eligibility Criteria

Our services are available at no cost for requests related to the following: 

  1. Work Duties: Translations that pertain to an NIH employee’s responsibilities or are required to keep their employment.
  2. Patient Care: Translations that facilitate participation in NIH clinical trials to patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
  3. Research: Scientific articles to inform NIH scientists’ research projects.

Notification of Policy Change Regarding Translation of Protocol Consents

Effective March 01, 2024, the Office of Human Subjects Research Protections (OHSRP) is implementing a revised policy pertaining to the enrollment of research participants with limited English proficiency (LEP). In instances where the enrollment of an individual with LEP is anticipated, the consent document(s) must be translated into the language spoken by the individual. As this new requirement may impose additional burdens and costs for research teams, OHSRP has worked with the NIH Library to ensure the availability of adequate resources. Moreover, the Office of Intramural Research (OIR) has allocated funds to defray the additional cost to research teams during the first year of implementation. Specifically, OIR will cover 50% of the cost associated with the first translation of a protocol consent into a new language, only when the translation is performed by the NIH Library Translations Office.  Subsequent amendments to the consent in the same language will not be eligible for coverage by the OIR. It is important to note that OIR will not reimburse for translations performed by external vendors or resources other than the NIH Library.  

Please refer to our FAQ section for details on how to request a protocol consent new translation or amendment to an existing translation.

Types of Documents We Translate

The Translations Office handles a wide range of documents, including:

  • Personal documents: diplomas, academic certificates, licenses, financial and insurance forms, vital records, etc.
  • Medical and scientific documents: protocol consents/assents, clinical records, surveys, patient instructions, etc.
  • Articles: cited journal articles related to the broader field of medicine.

For documents that fall outside these categories, we can guide you to the appropriate service to meet your specific needs. 

Languages and Costs

We offer in-house translation services free of charge for any documents different from protocol consents in the following language combinations:

  • French into English
  • Spanish into English
  • English into Spanish

For all other language combinations, our services are provided by qualified contractors. The costs for such translations are passed to the client’s Institute, Center, or Office (ICO)’s Common Account Number (CAN). They are based on word count and vary depending on factors like language type, complexity level, and turnaround time.

In case of in-house translations that we are unable to complete within your desired timeframe, we can assist by assigning the project to one of our qualified contractors at the requestor’s expense and managing the translation process.

Requesting a Translation

To initiate a translation request, please complete our Translation Request Form. Our team will promptly reach out to guide you through the submission of your documents.