Message from the NIBIB Director: NIBIB is strongly committed to increasing and supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at NIBIB and throughout the biomedical research community. It is critical that we assure the participation and success of racially and ethnically underrepresented and other underrepresented populations in the biomedical imaging and bioengineering communities. NIBIB will actively support and sustain a biomedical workforce, both within and outside NIBIB, that welcomes and is inclusive of diverse populations. We will continue to develop and implement innovative programs that help overcome roadblocks at critical transition points along the biomedical career path.
Listed here are funding opportunities and activities at NIBIB and across the NIH that are targeted to achieving these important goals.
NIH Institutional Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Biomedical and Behavioral Research Prize Competition
Does your institution promote inclusive excellence and value a culture of DEIA in research environments? Cosponsored by NIH UNITE and 24 NIH institutions and centers, the prize competition aims to recognize institutions that have implemented interventions to address gaps in DEIA. Ten winners will be awarded $100,000 each.
Details and how to submit can be found on the DEIA Prize Competition website.
Key Dates
- Prize competition launch: April 4, 2023
- Q&A webinar: May 17, 2023
- Deadline to apply: September 26, 2023
- Winners announced: December 2023
Read about the background and goals of the DEIA Prize Competition in the blog post by the NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity.
Featured Funding Opportunities
Research Funding Opportunities
Research Awards
- Research with Activities Related to Diversity (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) - PAR-23-122
- Technology Development to Reduce Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) - RFA-EB-21-001
- Small Grants for New Investigators to Promote Diversity in Health Related Research (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) - PAR-21-313
- Research Opportunities for New and "At-Risk" Investigators to Promote Workforce Diversity (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) - PAR-22-181
- Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) - PAR-23-112
- Support for Research Excellence – First Independent Research (SuRE-First) Award (R16 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) - PAR-21-173
- Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) Award (R16 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) - PAR-21-169
Research Support/Education Awards
- Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA) (R25) - PAR-23-137
- Instrumentation Grant Program for Resource-limited Institutions (S10) - PAR-23-138
Research Supplemental Awards
- Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research supplements to promote workforce diversity and enhance utility and use of Common Fund datasets - NOT-RM-23-005
See the full list of funding opportunities.
Maternal Health Related Funding Opportunities
RADx Tech for Maternal Health Challenge - up to $8 million in cash prizes to accelerate development of technologies to improve maternal health outcomes for those who live in areas lacking access to maternity care. The deadline for this Challenge has passed.
Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Challenge - encourages community-based and advocacy organizations in the U.S. to develop the infrastructure and capabilities necessary to conduct maternal health research. The deadline for this Challenge has passed.
Research Training Opportunities
NIBIB's training division supports numerous funding opportunities to build a competent and diverse workforce that can address the bioengineering challenges of the future. See a complete list of NIBIB-supported dIversity training opportunities.
Activities and Initiatives
NIBIB, along with its collaborators, is working on an effort to develop at-home diagnostic tests for COVID-19 that can be used independently by people with disabilities. Find out more about this initiative.
Best Practices for the Design of COVID-19 Home Tests document is now available on the U.S. Access Board website. These recommendations for developers and manufacturers are also applicable to other diagnostic products.
NTAC is a series of prize competitions to stimulate the design of new diagnostic technologies to transform public and global health and to accelerate the full development of those products for use in low-resource settings. Each competition focuses on a specific area of health disparities.
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. Details at the NIH UNITE website.
NIBIB has established a new trans-NIH center within its Intramural Research Program to accelerate the development, validation, and dissemination of high-impact biomedical technologies. Central to NIH BETA’s mission will be employing evidence-driven approaches to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion within NIBIB’s Intramural Research Program and serving as a model for recruiting diverse biomedical engineering talent to NIH.
DEBUT challenges undergraduate student teams to develop technology solutions to unmet needs in any area of healthcare. Many of the solutions address a range of health disparities.
POCTRN drives the development of technologies through collaborative efforts that merge scientific and technological capabilities with clinical need. Many of the solutions could be applied to underserved populations.
Resources
This strategic plan articulates NIH's commitment to embracing, strengthening, and integrating DEIA across all agency activities. The plan will guide actions across the agency in a transparent and accountable manner to achieve NIH's vision of being a people-centered organization where all feel a sense of belonging when advancing the NIH mission.
The Science Collaborative for Health disparities and Artificial Intelligence bias REduction (ScHARe) is an innovative social science data repository and multidisciplinary platform. This cloud-based platform designed to accelerate research in minority health and health disparities, health care outcomes, and artificial intelligence bias mitigation strategies. Learn more about these resources.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a report that makes recommendations for advancing antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) organizations. Read Dr. Tabak's statement about the report.
NIBIB is seeking outstanding individuals for the following positions: Scientific Diversity Officer in the Office of the Director, and Director of the NIH Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology Acceleration (BETA)/Associate Director for Scientific Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Learn more about these positions on the jobs page.
Related News
The National Institutes of Health and the higher education non-profit VentureWell have selected 10 winners and five honorable mentions of the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge
