The National Institutes of Health outlined Monday how it planned to use part of a $30 million grant from the N.F.L. to finance a series of research projects designed to answer some of the most vexing questions about how and why athletes sustain traumatic brain injuries.

The agency said $12 million, most of it from the N.F.L., would go to two groups trying to identify chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., in living patients, not just in autopsies, as is the case now. To do that, they will try to define what is distinct about the condition. A total of $2 million will be given to six institutions more focused on concussions and young athletes.

The N.F.L., which has been widely criticized for the way it handled concussions in the past, has committed tens of millions of dollars to researchers studying concussions and the cognitive disorders linked to them. In addition to trying to help retired players who suffer from dementia, memory loss and other debilitating conditions, the league is trying to reassure parents that football is safe enough for their children to play.

To that end, the N.I.H. is financing several pilot projects that are trying to identify concussions and the effects of head hits on young players.