42 U.S.C. § 285i

The general purpose of the National Eye Institute (hereafter in this subpart referred to as the “Institute”) is the conduct and support of research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind. Subject to section 285i–1 of this title , the Director of the Institute may carry out a program of grants for public and private nonprofit vision research facilities.