Key Dates

Related Announcements

• NOT-DK-23-016 - Notice of the Extension of the Response Date for NOT-DK-23-011: "NIDDK seeks public comment on the Report of the NIDDK Advisory Council Working Group on Health Disparities and Health Equity Research"

Issued by

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to seek feedback from the public on the Report from the Health Disparities and Health Equity Working Group of the NIDDK Advisory Council. The draft Report will be publicly available via https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/strategic-plans-reports/health-disparities-equity-working-group until March 17, 2023.

Background

NIDDK funds research on some of the most common conditions that disproportionately affect groups or communities that have been historically marginalized or experience contemporary forms of discrimination or oppression. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected these communities most severely, has heightened awareness of the devastating consequences of health disparities and the compelling need for more research to accelerate the elimination of disparities and promote health equity for all.

Health equity means that everyone has opportunities to live long, healthy, productive lives no matter who they are, how they identify, or where they live. NIDDK is committed to advancing health equity by supporting research to enable all communities affected by NIDDK diseases and conditions to thrive. Health equity and the reduction of health disparities are also important cross-cutting aspects of the NIDDK Strategic Plan for Research, published in December 2021.

In 2021, the NIDDK Advisory Council established a Health Disparities and Health Equity Working Group to advance the NIDDK health disparities and health equity research portfolio. The Working Group was charged with identifying a range of research needs and opportunities that represent the full spectrum of NIDDK science (basic, clinical, and translational). It included community members, patients and caregivers, NIDDK staff and external researchers from across the country with multidisciplinary research expertise related to health disparities and health equity. The Working Group’s Report was accepted by the NIDDK Advisory Council on January 25, 2023, and NIDDK now seeks further input from the community.

The Report includes five primary recommendations:

• Strengthen community engagement through partnership, power-sharing, and capacity building to improve research
• Advance research on the mechanisms by which biological, behavioral, environmental, and structural factors interact to affect health, disease, and resilience
• Advance research on interventions and studies to address racism, health-related social needs, and social determinants of health
• Promote new methods, measures, tools, and technologies to accelerate achievement of health equity research goals
• Enhance NIDDK collaboration, structures, and programs to support robust research in health equity

The Institute may use the Report to coordinate and prioritize health disparities and health equity activities within its mission; establish practical timelines, milestones, and metrics to track progress; embed equity-focused principles and tips in research activities; and promote multilevel and life course approaches to target root causes of disparities.

NIDDK invites comments on the Working Group Report from: the scientific research community; patients and caregivers; health care providers and health advocacy organizations; scientific and professional organizations; federal agencies; and other stakeholders, including interested members of the public. Feedback received through the RFI will help inform NIDDK as it considers how to implement the recommendations and opportunities presented in the Report.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to submit a single response that reflects the views of their organization and membership as a whole.

How to Submit a Response

All comments must be submitted electronically through the RFI submission website.

Responses must be received by 11:59:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on March 17, 2023.

Responses to this RFI are voluntary and may be submitted anonymously. Please do not include any information that you do not wish to make public. Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should not be included in your response. The Government will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at its discretion. Individual feedback will not be provided to any responder. The Government reserves the right to use any submitted information on public websites, in reports, in summaries of the state of the science, in any possible resultant solicitation(s), grant(s), or cooperative agreement(s), or in the development of future funding opportunity announcements. This RFI is for informational and planning purposes only and is not a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. Please note that the Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for use of that information.

NIDDK looks forward to your input, and we hope that you will share this RFI with your colleagues.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Email: [email protected]