▁received ▁a ▁national ▁labor atory ▁design ation ▁and ▁assumed ▁its ▁current ▁name , ▁becoming ▁the ▁only ▁U . S . ▁national ▁labor atory ▁exclus ively ▁dedicated ▁to ▁bi omed ical ▁research . ▁The ▁campus ▁in ▁Frederick , ▁Maryland ▁also ▁houses ▁National ▁Can cer ▁Institute ▁labor ator ies ▁and ▁administrative ▁organizations , ▁and ▁is ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁N CI - Fre der ick . ▁ ▁History ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁War ▁on ▁Can cer ▁initi ative , ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁transfer ▁land ▁and ▁buildings ▁which ▁were ▁then ▁part ▁of ▁Fort ▁Det rick ▁to ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Health ▁and ▁Human ▁Services ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁research ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Can cer ▁Institute . ▁The ▁new ▁labor atory ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁" Fre der ick ▁Can cer ▁Research ▁and ▁Development ▁Center " ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁design ation ▁as ▁a ▁Feder ally ▁Fund ed ▁Research ▁and ▁Development ▁Center ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁This ▁organiz ational ▁model , ▁also ▁used ▁by ▁Lawrence ▁Liver more ▁National ▁Labor atory ▁and ▁Los ▁Al amos ▁National ▁Labor atory ▁among ▁others , ▁spec ifies ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁public - private ▁partners hip ▁composed ▁of ▁an ▁institution ▁that ▁is ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁but ▁operated ▁by ▁a ▁private ▁contract or . ▁▁ ▁The ▁labor atory ▁was ▁administr atively ▁re organ ized ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁resulting ▁in ▁changing ▁the ▁name ▁to