During FY19, NIMHD DIR supported and promoted diversity by engaging in direct funding, hiring, mentoring, and committee and related service activities related to NIH workforce diversity. In FY19, NIMHD DIR supported various DIR-specific and NIH-wide diversity initiatives, including sponsoring diverse trainees from the post-baccalaureate to post-doctoral levels, an underrepresented Medical Research Scholar Program, a Bench to Bedside grant focused on health disparities, five Coleman health disparities research awards, and funding for 8 Adjunct Investigators to conduct health disparities research, plus diversity-related IRP TAPS. One of these trainees was a summer intern participating in the NINDS Summer Internship Program that enrolled mostly American Indian/Alaska Native Scholars. Almost all trainees were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. In response to an IRP-wide call for proposals for FY 19, DIR funded 5 NIMHD William G. Coleman, Jr., awards at $15,000 each to support health disparities research projects by early investigators. For FY19, two of our tenure-track investigators are supporting workforce diversity at NIH as active members of the NIH Distinguished Scholars Program, which aims to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion at NIH. Finally, in the area of committee and related service for FY19, Dr. Napoles served on the NIH Distinguished Scholars Program Planning Committee, the NINDS Summer Internship Program Planning Committee, the MRSP Executive Steering Committee, and is Vice-Chair on the Stadtman Executive Committee. She advised these programs on recruitment of diverse candidates, health disparities research training content, and outcomes tracking. In support of other diversity efforts, Dr. Napoles gave talks to the National Latino Psychology Association, 2nd Annual NCI Symposium on Cancer Health Disparities, American Association of Cancer Research Cancer Disparities conference, American Public Health Association conference, Medical Research Scholar Program Process of Discovery lecture series, University of San Francisco Business of Biotechnology Program for graduate students, American Psychooncology Society, National Hispanic Medical Association College Scholars, NIH Equity Committee, Exito! Training program, National Hispanic Medical Association, NIH Equity Committee, UCLA Center for Translational Science Institute, NCI Cancer Prevention Fellows, 2019 NIH Summer Course in Clinical and Translational Research Grant Writing and Grantsmanship Course For Clinical Fellows, Amgen Scholars, Office of Research on Womens Health seminar series, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, NIMHD Health Disparities Research Institute, and several community-based organizations serving minority populations.
