Blog

Several important events in 2020 highlighted the nation’s struggle with racial injustice and brought a new focus on structural racism within science and medicine. For many, including myself as acting Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD), this topic has been a concern and…

Black History Month (also known as African American History Month) is an opportunity to look at past accomplishments. The NIH has been a leader in supporting science and technology, with that mission fostered by several prominent African American/Black trailblazers. Just within the 21st century…

For this week’s blog post, we are happy to introduce Dr. Charles Dearolf, who is the Director of Program Development and Support at NIH’s Office of Intramural Research (OIR). He has been a member of the OIR senior leadership team since 2008. His primary responsibilities are to facilitate NIH-…

The NIH encourages and supports applications for grants and funding by all members of the biomedical research community. Given the gap in funding between scientists from underrepresented groups (URGs) compared to well-represented groups, closing this gap continues to be a priority. The…

On December 3rd of this year, the United Nation’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed. As we continue to strive to establish a culture of inclusive excellence in the scientific workforce, it is important that we consider the unique situation faced by those with…

Today the NIH released two new funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) as part of the NIH Common Fund’s Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) program. The FIRST program, which was developed, in part, through the efforts and vision of the SWD office, and…

While categorizations of race, class, and gender may influence individuals’ self-perceptions, recent work has focused on a more nuanced view of identity, suggesting the activities individuals engage in may also be influential. When someone participates in certain activities, they may start to…

Moving Forward: Goals and Approaches for Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 on the Biomedical Workforce

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic go beyond a direct health effect and can impact individuals at both personal and institutional levels. As we’ve discussed, these changes can…

While we last looked at how the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted institutional policies, this post will focus on the effect the pandemic has had on individuals in the U.S. biomedical workforce. The burden placed on individuals from underrepresented groups (URGs) is not equal, and ranges from…

The COVID-19 pandemic has made a substantial and likely enduring impact on the U.S. biomedical workforce and forced institutional-wide changes. But the effects are likely not shared equally. Underrepresented groups (URGs) face the potential for a disproportionate impact on all parts of their…