NCCIH Research Blog

I am so pleased at the progress the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is making in championing steady pathways to advance the science of minority health and health disparities, and promote health equity:

• We recently launched a section on our website, which provides users a one-stop shop for information on NCCIH’s health disparities research and current funding opportunities, as well as news, upcoming events, and information on this topic.
• On April 27, 2021, NCCIH hosted a Hot Topics Webinar on "Engaging Diverse Communities in Complementary and Integrative Health Research." We held this webinar as part of National Minority Health Month to highlight successful strategies and lessons learned by researchers and community partners in engaging diverse communities in complementary and integrative health research. Invited speakers, including several from National Institutes of Health (NIH) partner Institutions, shared their experiences on building community and academic partnerships in diverse communities as they engaged in a panel discussion of important considerations for conducting health disparities–focused research (e.g., social determinants of health, multilevel interventions, whole person health research). The NIH videocast of this event is archived and available for viewing and sharing with your colleagues at: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=41803.
• As elucidated in NCCIH’s 2021–2025 strategic plan, which was released last week, we are steadfast in our commitment to funding health disparities research and attracting diverse teams of scientists.

NCCIH and NIH are equally committed to facilitating programs and research targeted at reducing health disparities that help to improve minority health. Attracting scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds not only brings different perspectives to the research paradigm but also breeds creativity and inclusion within the scientific enterprise to address complex scientific problems.