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:
- Work Duties: Translations that pertain to an NIH employee’s responsibilities or are required to keep their employment.
- Patient Care: Translations that facilitate participation in NIH clinical trials to patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
- 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) implemented a revised Policy 301 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.
Please refer to our FAQ section for details on how to request a new protocol consent translation or an amendment to an existing consent translation, and the REQUIRED documents for such requests.
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 no longer offer in-house translation services free of charge for documents being translated from English into Spanish, or vice versa.
For all language combinations, our services are provided by qualified contractors. The costs for translations are passed to the client’s Institute, Center, or Office (ICO)’s Common Accounting Number (CAN). They are based on word count and vary depending on factors like language type, complexity level, and turnaround time. In addition, any credit card/purchase card processing fees will also be passed to the client's ICO's CAN.
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.