Media Advisory

Friday, November 20, 2020

NIH expands research to improve COVID-19 testing among underserved and vulnerable populations

Research designed to rapidly implement testing strategies in populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

What

The ľ¹ÏÖ±²¥ has awarded nearly $45 million to expand the research network of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program, adding 20 institutions and seven states and territories. RADx-UP aims to enable and enhance COVID-19 testing of populations disproportionately affected by the disease, including African Americans, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Latinos/Latinas, Native Hawaiians, older adults, pregnant women and those who are homeless or incarcerated. This second round of awards brings the total investment in the RADx-UP program to more than $283 million at 55 institutions across 33 states and territories and the Cherokee Nation.

These new grants bolster two critical components of the RADx-UP program to address testing hesitancy among underserved and/or vulnerable populations:

  • Research on the 1) cultural, ethical, social, behavioral, historical, economic and contextual factors associated with COVID-19 testing; 2) attitudes, expectations and preferences for testing and how test results influence ability and willingness to get tested; 3) interpersonal, institutional (e.g., health system), community and policy factors that affect access to COVID-19 testing.
  • A collaborative network of community-engagement projects with established programs that have adequate capacity, infrastructure and relationships with underserved communities. This effort will strengthen available data on disparities in infection rates and disease progression and outcomes and improve understanding of differences in testing access and uptake patterns.

The initial round of awards announced on Sept. 30, 2020 also includes a coordination and data collection center at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

Who

Co-chairs of the RADx-UP Governance Committee are available for interviews:

  • Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the National Institute on Aging
  • Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
  • Tara A. Schwetz, Ph.D., NIH Associate Deputy Director.

About the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADxSM) initiative: The RADx initiative was launched on April 29, 2020, to speed innovation in the development, commercialization and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. The initiative has four programs: RADx Tech, RADx Advanced Technology Platforms, RADx Underserved Populations and RADx Radical. It leverages the existing NIH Point-of-Care Technology Research Network. The RADx initiative partners with federal agencies, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Department of Defense, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Learn more about the RADx initiative and its programs: /radx.

About the ľ¹ÏÖ±²¥ (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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