UCSF Guides: Finding and Using Images: Government Image Collections

Jellyfish Anatomy

US Government Image Collections

Government materials are in the Public Domain. For public domain images, there is no copyright, no permission required, and no charge for their use. The majority of the images in these collections are in the public domain, but a few include images that may be protected by copyright. In those cases, it will be posted on the website's main page. For those sites it is important to select carefully if you do not want to obtain permissions for use.

CDC Public Health Image Library
This image collection contains photographs, illustrations, and multimedia files. There is both a general and an advanced search feature.
National Cancer Institute: NCI Visuals Online
The National Cancer Institute provides an extensive image collection. You can browse, search, and temporarily save images. It includes many anatomical images not related specifically to cancer.
The Cancer Imaging Archive
A large archive of medical images of cancer accessible for public download from The Frederic National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR). Registering is free. All images are stored in DICOM file format. The images are organized as "Collections", typically patients related by a common disease (e.g. lung cancer), image modality (MRI, CT, etc) or research focus. Some collections in this archive have use restrictions. More information is available on their data usage policies and restrictions page.
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The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR) is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., (formerly SAIC-Frederick, Inc.) for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Photos
This photo collection is organized into four categories: Leadership, Key Staff, Clinical and Translational Science, and Pre-Clinical Science. From this page, there is also a link to videos (when you navigate to the video page, there are also audio clips).
National Center for Compelmentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Image Gallery
A small image collection; images are sorted by treatment, category, and whole medical systems.
National Eye Institute: NEI Photos and Images
The search feature for this collection allows you to select from eye conditions, anatomy, or diagnostic/treatments. It also links out to NEI YouTube videos and other image resources.
Digital Media Database: National Human Genome Research Institute
This large database contains downloadable high-resolution photographs, graphics and video files related to the field of genomic research and the activities of the National Human Genome Research Institute. Images are sorted into the following categories: people, events, lab/technology, plants, animals, microorganisms, graphics, and videos.
National Institute on Aging (NIA) Images and Video
NIA's image and video collection includes scientific illustrations and graphic images showing brain function and Alzheimer's disease. Images can be viewed and downloaded in high resolution (suitable for print) and low resolution (suitable for viewing online).
National Institute of Allery and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Image Library
Biodefense and emerging infectious diseases image library. The page also links to some WHO images, which may require permissions.
National Institue of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Image Gallery
An online searchable database of photos and illustrations. There is an advanced search feature with drop-down menus for graphic type and keywords used to describe images.
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) Multimedia
NIBIB's multimedia collection contains a video, audio and image library. The video collection is larger than the audio and photo collections.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Image Gallery
The NIDCR image gallery consists of images in three categories: Science, Oral Health, and NICDR Staff. It contains both photographs and illustrations.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Image Library
Images in this collection are sorted into three main categories: Anatomical and Medical, Instuctional, and Lifestyle and Activity. Most images in the collection are black and white illustrations.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Image and Video Gallery
A collection of photographs, illustrations and videos. Images are downloadable in small, medium or large format.
National Institute of Mental Health: NIMH Image Library
This seems to be a relatively small collection; however, it has a good selection of MRI and brain imagery.
National Biomedical Imaging Archive (NBIA)
NBIA is a searchable repository of in vivo images that can be used in the development and validation of analytical software tools that support:
-Lesion detection and classification
-Accelerated diagnostic imaging decision
-Quantitative imaging assessment of drug response
NIH Images from the History of Medicine
This database provides access to over 70,000 images in the collections of the History of Medicine Division (HMD) of the U.S National Library of Medicine (NLM). The collection includes portraits, photographs, caricatures, genre scenes, posters, and graphic art illustrating the social and historical aspects of medicine dated from the 15th to 21st century. Some materials may be protected by United States or foreign copyright laws.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Multimedia Gallery
This image collection contains over 3,000 images, videos, audio files, and links to additional audio slideshows, interactive features, screensavers and other content that doesn't neatly fit into the categories of images, video and audio.
Library of Congress: Government Resources for Science Images and Videos
This website links to many government image collections. Topics include agriculture, astronomy and aeronautics, biology, conservation, earth sciences and geology, energy, engineering, health science and medicine, and the Library's own prints and photographs collection.
U.S. Government Photos and Images
This website provides links to many government image collections. Some of the photos are in the public domain or U.S. government works and may be used without permission or fee. However, some images may be protected by license or copyright. You should read the disclaimers on each site before using these images.
U.S. Government Flickr Photostream
This website is comprised of official U.S. federal, state, and local government photostreams on Flickr.
State Photo and Multimedia Galleries
Links to image collections in all 50 states.

Human Gut Microbe

Credit: National Institutes of Health