Blog

Systemic racism persists in the scientific endeavor. Racial disparities prevent talented individuals from pursuing and staying in their chosen field due to the challenges of navigating entrenched biases, barriers, and hostility—and it’s time for the scientific community to come together to…

June is Pride Month, an opportunity to celebrate the various perspectives and experiences of our sexual and gender minority (SGM) colleagues who enhance the mission of NIH. We should also recognize the persistent challenges SGM individuals in the scientific workforce encounter due to systemic…

Women of Color face many systemic obstacles in the scientific workforce, from experiences of racial microaggressions to disproportionate expectations of academic service relative to their male counterparts. One such obstacle is a lack of speaking opportunities at conferences, colloquia, and…

In this week's blog post, I am happy to introduce Dr. Carl Hashimoto. Dr. Hashimoto leads the NIH Distinguished Scholars Program (DSP) and is the Senior Advisor for Faculty Development in the NIH Office of Intramural Research. He supports early career stage investigators' professional and…

A fundamental component of our SWD mission is to diversify the scientific workforce by addressing the myth that outstanding diverse talent is in short supply. To this end, our Office has developed a Diversity Toolkit with four building blocks: These include expanding diversity of the candidate…

In this week’s blog post, we are happy to introduce Janine Austin Clayton, M.D., FARVO, director of the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) and co-chair (along with NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.) of the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers (WgWBC). She has…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Scientific Workforce Diversity (SWD) office are pleased to announce the 2021 Future Research Leaders Conference (FRLC), an excellent career development opportunity for talented, early-career scientists interested in pursuing careers at NIH’s world-…

One year later, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected our individual lives and communities. We have observed disproportionate effects observed in underserved populations, leaving them vulnerable to higher infection and mortality risk. These effects have led to an increased reliance on…

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…