Announcement

March 31, 2021

NIH Releases Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan 2021-2025

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today charted a path for NIH to advance the science of minority health and health disparities for the next five years and beyond, with the release of the NIH-Wide Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan, 2021-2025: Taking the Next Steps.

The plan’s goals for advancing minority health and health disparities research and promoting health equity are in three categories:

  1. Scientific Research, such as advancing the understanding of the root causes of health disparities
  2. Research-Sustaining Activities, such as strengthening the national research capacity to address minority health and health disparities, especially in minority-serving institutions
  3. Outreach, Collaboration, and Dissemination, such as cultivating and expanding the community of researchers and advocates in the area of minority health and health disparities

Development of the strategic plan was led by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), in collaboration with all NIH Institutes, Offices, and Centers. To ensure that stakeholders at multiple levels were involved in this strategic planning process, NIMHD gathered input from experts within and outside of NIH.

“By gaining a better understanding of the different pathways of health disparities and the contributors to certain outcomes in populations with health disparities, we will be able to improve health for all and promote health equity,” said NIMHD Director Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D. “This strategic plan shows the path. We are proud of this plan and look forward to implementing it along with the rest of NIH.”

The strategic plan’s evolution started more than eight years ago, with town hall meetings to collect data on critical research areas in minority health and health disparities. With input from NIH Institutes, Offices, and Centers, NIMHD led an analysis of NIH’s portfolio of minority health and health disparities research, including a search for gaps in the science and structures that support research aligned with their mission. Development continued with a science visioning process, then listening sessions, both virtual and in person, to collect community-level input from across the country.

NIH has an ongoing role to play in reducing health disparities and improving minority health across all diseases and conditions. NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers contribute to science and support training, workforce development, capacity building, and other activities that advance the field. This strategic plan demonstrates the commitment of all of NIH to improving minority health and reducing health disparities.

Over the next five years, NIH will evaluate the agency’s progress in meeting the strategic plan’s objectives. Access The NIH-Wide Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan, 2021-2025: Taking the Next Steps online.

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About the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD): NIMHD leads scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities by conducting and supporting research; planning, reviewing, coordinating, and evaluating all minority health and health disparities research at NIH; promoting and supporting the training of a diverse research workforce; translating and disseminating research information; and fostering collaborations and partnerships. For more information about NIMHD, visit www.nimhd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.


Page updated July 13, 2021