About NIMHD
NIMHD was first established as the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Public Law 106-525), in 2000 and redesignated as an Institute in 2010, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law. 111-148). The Institute’s full history dates back to the creation of the Office of Minority Programs in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director in 1990. Then, in 1993 (Public Law 103-43), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established the Office of Research on Minority Health, which developed a research agenda for minority health at NIH.
Mission
Central to NIMHD’s mission is the advancement of scientific knowledge and improving the health of NIH-designated populations experiencing health disparities.
NIMHD conducts and supports research and training programs to advance knowledge and understanding of health disparities, identify mechanisms to improve minority health and reduce health disparities, and develop effective interventions to reduce health disparities in community and clinical settings.
NIMHD is the lead organization at NIH for planning, reviewing, coordinating, and evaluating minority health and health disparities research activities. NIMHD also promotes workforce development, supports research capacity at less-resourced institutions that train students in research careers, serves populations experiencing health disparities, supports participation in clinical research, and promotes information dissemination through regular communications, public education outreach, and scientific presentations.
About Pages
Strategic Plan
NIH developed the 2021–2025 NIH Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan to make informed decisions about research in collaboration with all NIH Institutes, Offices, and Centers and with public input from experts and communities impacted by health disparities.
Advisory Council
NIMHD’s advisory council consists of expert minority health and health disparities researchers and clinicians who advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the directors of the NIH and NIMHD on matters related to NIMHD’s mission and strategic plan.
Organizational Structure
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities leads scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. Learn more below about the organizational structure and functions of the offices and divisions that support its mission.
History
NIMHD began in 1990 and evolved into the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities in 2010. Each transition provided a more defined role in NIH’s research agenda and greater funding authority to address minority health and health disparities.