NIH leaders detail commitment to end structural racism in biomedical science
In a commentary in Cell, scientists, administrators, staff and leaders from the National Institutes of Health set forth a framework to end structural racism across the biomedical research enterprise and spur much needed widescale, systematic changes. Known as the UNITE initiative, it represents the first time all NIH Institutes and Centers are jointly focused on structural racism in biomedical science — both within the agency and throughout the biomedical workforce, as well as in the research NIH supports.
Recognizing that NIH-led diversity and inclusion programs have been valuable but not sufficient, the authors describe actions in process or planned to expand NIH efforts to the scale and scope essential to creating a more equitable ecosystem across biomedical science. These actions are informed and shaped by the five interacting committees of the NIH UNITE consortia, and include:
Collins, FS et al. Affirming NIH’s commitment to addressing structural racism in the biomedical research enterprise. Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.05.014 (2021).
