NIMHD Research Vision and Agenda

Joyce A. Hunter, PhDDeputy DirectorNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) 21st Annual Capitol Forum on Hispanic Higher Education

March 14, 2016

Objectives

• Overview of the NIMHD mission on improving minority health and eliminating health disparities and definitions

• Discuss the NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities research strategies

• Brief guidance on finding NIH Funding Opportunities and research training

The NIH Mission“To support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.”

Office of the Director

National Instituteon Alcohol Abuseand Alcoholism

National Instituteof Arthritis andMusculoskeletaland Skin Diseases

National CancerInstitute

National Instituteof Diabetes andDigestive and

Kidney Diseases

National Instituteof Dental andCraniofacialResearch

National Instituteon Drug Abuse

National Instituteof Environmental Health Sciences

National Instituteon Aging

National Instituteof Child Healthand HumanDevelopment

National Institute onDeafness and OtherCommunication

Disorders

National EyeInstitute

National HumanGenome Research

Institute

National Heart,Lung, and Blood

Institute

National Instituteof Mental Health

National Instituteof NeurologicalDisorders and

Stroke

National Instituteof General

Medical Sciences

National Instituteof Nursing Research

National Libraryof Medicine

Center for InformationTechnology

National Centerfor Complementary

and Integrative Health

National Instituteof Allergy and

Infectious Diseases

FogartyInternational

Center

National CenterFor Advancing TranslationalSciences

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering 

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities 

NIH

Center for Scientific ReviewClinical Center

NIMHD MissionNIMHD’s mission is to lead scientific research that advances understanding of minority health and health disparities• Supports research in minority health, as defined by

racial/ethnic groups in U.S. Census• Supports research to understand the causes of and

reduce health disparities in specific populations• Supports the training of a diverse scientific workforce

as part of broad NIH mandate• Translates and disseminates research information • Fosters innovative collaborations and partnerships

NIMHD Extramural Programs• Investigator-initiated research project grants

• Centers

• Small business and technology research grants

• Science Education Program

• Loan repayment program

• Conference Grants

• Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA, R15)

• Training Grants (new in 2016)

Minority Health Definition• Distinctive health characteristics and

attributes of the principal minority racial and/or ethnic groups in the U.S.

• Social disadvantage and/or subject to discrimination as a common theme

• Historically underrepresented in biomedical research and usually in the scientific workforce

Minority Health PopulationsOMB standards—Minority Racial/Ethnic Classification

• African American or Black• Asian American• American Indian or Alaska Native • Latino or Hispanic• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

(e.g., Guam, Tonga)

Health Disparities Definition• A health disparity is defined as a health

difference that adversely affects disadvantaged populations, based on one or more health outcomes

• Health disparities research is devoted to advancing scientific knowledge about the influence of health determinants and defining mechanisms and how this knowledge is translated into interventions to reduce health disparities

Differences in Outcomes or Events that Indicate a Health Disparity

• Higher disease incidence and prevalence: disease morbidity with specific diagnosis

• Poorer survival outcomes: mortality• Worse quality of life, self-reported symptoms, or

function (ADLs) using standardized measures• Higher/lower rates of hospitalization, emergency

department (ED) visits, use of appropriate services• More incident events that affect health (e.g., falls)• Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)

Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Activity Strategies

• Understand the etiology of adverse/beneficial health outcomes associated with race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status

• Define mechanisms of interaction of social, behavioral, environmental, biological, and clinical factors that determine health disparities outcomes

• Develop/test interventions to improve the health status and reduce health disparities in target conditions

• Establish the science of health disparities: methodologies, metrics, and tools

• Track trends, inclusion in bio-banks, registries, clinical trials

NIMHD Priorities• Define and differentiate the science of health

disparities and minority health• Promote innovation in community and

population health sciences• Establish program in health services research

and research in clinical settings • Foster innovative, investigator-initiated

research through NIMHD • Promote diversity in the workforce

More Diversity in the Biomedical Workforce is Needed

• NIH has long recognized the importance of workforce diversity- We must engage the best and brightest minds – including those from

underrepresented groups, and across all demographic sectors – if we are to fulfill our mission, and improve health

• As our nation’s population grows more diverse, NIH’s need to establish a more diverse research workforce grows more urgent

Diversifying the biomedical workforce will:• Lead to the recruitment of the most talented researchers

from all groups• Improve the quality of the training environment• Balance and broaden the perspective in setting research

priorities• Improve the ability to recruit subjects from diverse

backgrounds into clinical research protocols• Improve the nation's capacity to address and eliminate

health disparities

New Research Areas in FY 2016

• Research Centers on Retaining Youth and Young Adults from Health Disparity Populations in the HIV Treatment Cascade

• Addressing Health Disparities Among Immigrant Populations

• Disparities in Surgical Care and Outcomes• Social Epigenomics for Minority Health and

Health Disparities

Finding Funding Opportunities

Finding Funding Opportunities

Finding Funding Opportunities

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm

Finding Funding Opportunities

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html

Finding Funding Opportunities

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/listserv.htm

Learning About Funding Programs

Learning About Funding Programs

Learning About Funding Programs

http://www.NIDDK.NIH.gov/research‐funding/research‐programs/Pages/default.aspx

NIH Research Training Website

https://researchtraining.nih.gov/

Career Path Funding Options

New and Early-Stage Investigators • Definition of New Investigator: An individual who has not

previously competed successfully for a significant NIH independent research award, other than the following awards: Research Project Grants: R00, R03, R15, R21, R25, R90, (RL9, RL5), R34, R36, (R41, R43), R55, R56, SC2, SC3

- All training Grants: T32, T34, T35, T90, D43

- All Fellowships: F awards

- Mentored Career Awards: All individual and institutional mentored K awards

- Loan repayment contracts: L30, L32, L40, L50, L60

- Instrumentation, Construction, Education, Health Disparity Endowment Grants, or Meeting Awards: G07, G08, G11, G13, G20, R13, S10, S15, S21, S22

New and Early-Stage Investigators • Definition of Early-Stage Investigator: An individual who

qualifies as a New Investigator and is within 10 years of completing his/her terminal research degree or is within 10 years of completing medical residency

• Early-Stage Investigator Applying for R01 or DP2 grants: - Receive special attention at Review (career stage) and

at National Advisory Council (high program priority)

- No imposed reductions in duration and amount of awards (beyond the recommendations of the initial review group)

- Increased payline for scored R01 applications from Early-Stage Investigators

Useful NIH Websites • NIH Institutes and Centers: http://www.nih.gov/icd/ • Grants and Funding Opportunities:

http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/• Research Training

Opportunities:https://researchtraining.nih.gov/index• Forms and Applications:

http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm• Electronic Submission of Applications:

http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/• Grants Policy and Guidelines:

http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm• NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts (the NIH Guide):

http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html

Connect With Us

Visit us online www.nimhd.nih.gov

Connect with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/NIMHD

Follow us on Twitter @NIMHD