Is NIH backing away from its commitment to recruiting Under-Represented Minorities in Science?
No. NIH has expanded its emphasis on the importance of recruiting all underrepresented groups into science, including those from underrepresented racial and ethic groups. The NIH believes that a diverse workforce increases the level of public trust, the quality of our education and training programs, and the breadth of our research portfolio. A diverse workforce will permit the NIH to more effectively address health issues of concern to underrepresented groups. Data are available demonstrating that the following racial and ethnic groups are under-represented among research scientists in comparison with their representation in the U.S. population at large: American Indians or Alaska Natives, Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders. However, NIH is broadening its definition of Diversity Recruitment to include additional groups that may enhance the diversity of the scientific workforce along additional dimensions.
