RESPONSES DUE DECEMBER 28, 2015 -- RFI Strategies to Enhance Diversity in the Physician-Scientist Workforce, NOT-OD-16-027

Dear All,

I wanted to alert you to a Request for Information (RFI): Strategies to Enhance Diversity in the Physician-Scientist Workforce, NOT-OD-16-027, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-16-027.html.  As you may be aware, the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) charged a Working Group with analyzing the composition and size of the physician-scientist biomedical workforce (defined as individuals with MD, DO, DDS/DMD, DVM/VMD degrees and nurses with research doctoral degrees who devote the majority of their time to biomedical research), and with making recommendations for actions that should be taken to sustain and strengthen it. The Physician-Scientist Workforce Working Group (PSW-WG) had several meetings and produced a report in June 2014 that contained nine recommendations for action (http://acd.od.nih.gov/reports/PSW_Report_ACD_06042014.pdf). Recommendation 8, which is the focus of the RFI, stated:
NIH should intensify its efforts to increase diversity in the physician-scientist workforce. This Working Group recognized major deficiencies of the physician-scientist workforce with regard to diversity.
The report contained few proposed actions or strategies.   As part of the internal implementation strategy last year, we have been gathering as much information as possible on the unique trajectories, potential systematic or structural barriers, and successful strategies that might be undertaken to enhance the diversity of the PSW.  The hope is that armed with qualitative and quantitative information, NIH will be in a position to develop and pilot strategies to enhance the participation of underrepresented populations in the PSW.  We anticipate that such strategies will have broad applications.
Please note that the response date is December 28, 2015.  Feel free to circulate the RFI to others who may be interested in providing their perspectives.  Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,

Lisa Evans, JD Scientific Workforce Diversity OfficerOffice of Extramural Programs Email: evansl@od.nih.gov