News Release

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

New, highly innovative NIH research awards to address health disparities and advance health equity

The ľֱ is funding bold, new research ideas that focus on interventions to address health disparities and advance health equity. were awarded to support the work of exceptionally creative researchers across the United States through the NIH Common Fund’s totaling $58 million over five years, pending availability of funds. The grants are innovative because the applications focused on the significance of the research problem, the novelty of the idea or approach, and the magnitude of the potential impact rather than on preliminary data or experimental details.

“It is unacceptable for persistent and pervasive health inequities to continue despite the scientific advancements and knowledge base we have achieved,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. “This research effort will catalyze novel interventions and hasten the opportunity to put evidence into action for populations affected by health disparities.”

A health disparity is a negative health outcome that affects disadvantaged populations like racial and ethnic minority populations, socioeconomic disadvantaged groups, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities. For example, racial and ethnic minority populations in the U.S. face a disproportionate burden of disease, such as diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases, HIV, and obesity. More recently, the racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 incidences and deaths illuminated health disparities and inequities that affect minority populations.

Each of the awards includes an innovative intervention component and focuses on one or more NIH-designated populations that experience health disparities in the U.S., including the following examples:

  • Community-based research collaborations will develop and test financial interventions that address structural racism in neighborhoods predominantly populated by African American residents and examine spiritual healing and stress reduction interventions for youth from racial and ethnic minority communities to prevent chronic disease outcomes.
  • Telehealth-driven or technology-assisted interventions have surged in the wake of COVID-19 and will be integrated into several of the community-based interventions for physical and mental health.
  • Technology-enhanced approaches will be designed to advance cancer health equity among diverse deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing populations.
  • Researchers will also develop and evaluate a new model of school-based, telehealth-driven preventive care to prevent health disparities in underserved rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged children.

Additionally, the initiative expects to expand the research base for health disparities research at minority serving institutions (MSIs). A dedicated funding opportunity was specifically designed for MSIs, which the NIH Common Fund in fiscal year 2022 to support additional projects. Through the transformative health disparities research and the commitment to MSIs, this Common Fund initiative supports NIH’s broader commitment to end structural racism and racial inequities throughout the biomedical research enterprise and the goals of the NIH UNITE initiative.

The Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity initiative is a trans-NIH effort led collaboratively by the NIH Common Fund, Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Tribal Health Research Office, and the National Institute of Nursing Research, with many of the NIH Institutes and Centers participating in project management. The new set of awards will be administered by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research on behalf of the NIH.

About the NIH Common Fund: The NIH Common Fund encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high-impact, trans-NIH programs. Common Fund programs are managed by the Office of Strategic Coordination in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the NIH Office of the Director in partnership with the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. More information is available at the Common Fund website: .

About UNITE: The UNITE initiative was established to identify and address structural racism within the NIH-supported and the greater scientific community. With representation from across the NIH Institutes and Centers, UNITE aims to establish an equitable and civil culture within the biomedical research enterprise and reduce barriers to racial equity in the biomedical research workforce. To reach this goal, UNITE is facilitating research to identify opportunities, make recommendations, and develop and implement strategies to increase inclusivity and diversity in science. These efforts will bolster the NIH’s effort to continue to strive for diversity within the scientific workforce and racial equity on the NIH campus and within the extramural community. For more information about UNITE and its committees, visit .

About the ľֱ (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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