Intramural Diversity in Medical Research Initiatives

National Institute On Minority Health And Health Disparities

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

During FY21, NIMHD DIR supported and promoted diversity by engaging in our own diversity programs, funding other diversity initiatives across the NIH campus, and committee service activities related to NIH workforce diversity. In FY21, NIMHD DIR continued its two flagship programs to promote diversity, the NIMHD William G. Coleman Jr., PhD, Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Innovation Award and the NIMHD DIR Adjunct Investigator program. Coleman Award Program. For FY21, in response to an IRP-wide call for proposals for FY20, DIR received 32 applications, 4 of which were ineligible. The remaining applications were reviewed and scored by a DIR reviewer panel. For FY21, under the Coleman program, we funded 6 research projects that are being conducted by 9 early career investigators. All projects are related to minority health or health disparities and cover the span of biological to neighborhood-level determinants of health. The Coleman program celebrated its 5-year anniversary and has been an excellent vehicle for encouraging early careers in minority health and health disparities research among diverse recipients across NIH. Adjunct Investigator Program. In FY21, we continued to fund 9 Adjunct Investigators to conduct health disparities research and mentor racially/ethnically diverse trainees in their labs. All trainees were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. Three of these investigators are Senior Investigators who have been champions in diversity and inclusion efforts at NIH in terms of their research focus and mentoring. Of the other 6, one is an Assistant Clinical Investigator, and the others are Tenure-Track Investigators (TTIs). This strategy of funding seasoned health disparities investigators and early career investigators has been exceptionally helpful in creating opportunities and supportive environments for trainees. Diversity Scholar Program. During FY21, our new TTI, Dr. Kosuke Tamura was selected for the NIH Distinguished Scholars Program (DSP), which aims to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion at NIH using a cohort model. So far, all 5 of DIRs TTIs have been selected for the DSP (except for one who was hired before the program existed and is now a Senior Investigator) and are supporting workforce diversity at NIH as active members of this cohort model program. Inter-Institute Endocrinology Fellowship Program (IEFP). The IEFP is a 3-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited training program that provides physicians and physician scientists with cutting-edge research and clinical endocrinology experiences. The program leaders are strongly committed to DEI and have invited NIMHD DIR to join. NIMHD is assisting with promotion of this opportunity and will fund one slot for a trainee interested in health disparities research starting FY22. DEI-related Committee Service. DIR investigators are making tremendous contributions to DEI efforts at NIH through committee service. Four of our investigators participate on review committees (2 as Co-Chairs) for the NIH centralized Stadtman TTI search. In doing so, they are promoting the value of health disparities and minority health research at NIH and helping to bring diversity and inclusion to the forefront in consideration of candidates. Stadtman applicants are now required to submit a statement as part of their application that focuses on their mentoring philosophy and activities related to mentoring women and persons from underrepresented minority groups. Review committees are instructed also to include such details in their summary statements and ratings of candidates. This information is helpful to the NIH Scientific Directors (SDs) in hiring TTIs who are committed to DEI. The DIR SD, Dr. Npoles, is serving on the NIH UNITE N Committee as a Co-Chair. This committee is charged with expanding minority health, health disparities and health equity research funded by NIH, both intramurally and extramurally. She is also serving on the NIH Equity Committee that reviews all intramural programs and their performance in terms of DEI accomplishments. To diversify the intramural leadership at NIH, she is serving as Co-Chair of the search committee for the next SD at NINR and for the Clinical Director at NIDDK. Finally, Dr. Npoles continued to serve on the NIH Distinguished Scholars Program Planning Committee, the NINDS Summer Internship Program Planning Committee, and the MRSP Executive Steering Committee. She advises these programs on recruitment of diverse candidates, health disparities research training content, and outcomes tracking. Dr. Sharon Jackson, Clinical Investigator, continues to serve on the NIH IRB and NIH Clinical Center Medical Executive Committee and has been vocal about championing the rights of diverse and vulnerable patients (e.g., low literacy, limited English proficient). Dr. Jackson is also Chairing the NIH intramural Health Disparities Interest Group (HDIG), with Dr. Choi as Advisor to the HDIG. The HDIG has played an active role in securing well-recognized health disparities researchers for the seminar series it sponsors. A recent seminar on structural racism by Dr. Gilbert Gee reached maximum capacity of 500 attendees. Dr. Jackson is also serving on the search committee for a new TTI position in the NIH Bioethics Clinical Center who will have an Adjunct appointment with NIMHD and focus on bioethical issues related to health equity. Dr. Kelvin Choi is Co-Chairing a new intramural Asian American Pacific Islander Health Scientific Interest Group (AAPI-HSIG) at NIH. Mentoring/training Activities. During FY21, DIR mentored a total of 34 trainees: 10 post-doctoral, 2 pre-doctoral, 15 post-baccalaureate fellows, 5 summer interns, and 2 medical research scholars. The overwhelming majority of these trainees were from underrepresented groups, e.g., African American, Latino or American Indian, and most were women. One of the post-doctoral fellows just started a tenure-track position at Rutgers University (the others are newer hires and still in their fellowship training with us), and some of the post-baccalaureate fellows have entered medical school or MPH and doctoral programs in related fields. Demand for traineeship opportunities within DIR has always exceeded capacity. Continued growth in the number of DIR investigators will help meet this demand.