Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Browse Trending ideas

Researchers should be trained on the benefits and best practices for engaging in team science with leaders across diverse fields. Researchers should reflect the communities they represent in every dimension, including underrepresented minority groups and individuals with disabilities.

The first STRIVE workshop was thought provoking, and every speaker clearly expressed ongoing issues in their particular specialization without superficiality--a real feat given the time limitation.

What struck me was the number of times the question was posed--how do we reduce disparities now that see the problems more clearly due to COVID-19 and continue to collect strong data? Every panelist admitted how hard it is... more »

Noted in Workshop 2 was the limited availability of measures tailored for research in minoritized populations.  Establishing a repository of valid and reliable measures, such as previous efforts to establish  various tool kits and measures of the effects of  COVID-19, would provide a resource for researchers and facilitate comparability across studies. It may also enhance understanding of the broader research community... more »

Research enterprise should maximize benefits and decrease harm against marginalized communities by rethinking how language and engagement and research frameworks are approached.

The path to health equity includes an examination of structural racism and bias; as part of this work, researchers must consider the intersectionality of disability, race and income when planning and implementing research.

There is a lack of researchers with neurodevelopmental conditions who investigate health-related disparities in people with neurodevelopmental conditions.  Imagine research on women conducted primarily by men.  Imagine research on Black and African Americans conducted primarily by Whites.  Imagine research on the LGBTQIA+ community conducted primarily by cis-gendered heterosexuals.  Researchers with neurodevelopmental... more »

I would like to submit ideas regarding collaboration

Change only occurs when we first recognize the problems.   Diversity, equity, and inclusion can and should include 'many' even all. Yet grant applicants really have  are quite limited in the resource they can build into an application to improve diversity representation in their sample. We must encourage applicants to build in specific ideas and resources to address diversity

If you were walking down the street what race do you think strangers would automatically assume you are based on what you look like? For the purpose of this question please mark only one box. My street race question is necessary for documenting and rectifying racial discrimination and redistributing resources. Disaggregation is not enough. Intersectional inquiry is necessary to document and rectify complex inequities.... more »

There is a foundation that provides funds to institutions that partner with communities as an Institutional Challenge Grant. Since funders often drive research directions I think this could be a way to revolutionize data production towards community partnered solutions. This leads me to three similar ideas to that. 1. Grants for organizations to work with scientists to test and if good outcomes, scale their work. What's... more »

Similar to the INCLUDE initiative for Down Syndrome, we need NICHD to prioritize physical health disparities research in Adults with Neurodevelopmental disabilities that *do not have* a co-occurring intellectual disability.  Adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities (e.g., Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Schizophrenia, etc) face disparities in health outcomes and healthcare.  Autistic Adults, for example, are at a higher risk... more »

Many people with neurodevelopmental conditions face an increased risk of physical health disparities.  However, much of the research on neurodevelopmental conditions is focused on the cause, cure, prevention, and treatment of neurodevelopmental conditions instead of on the co-occurring health conditions.  Many people within some populations with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., Autism, Down syndrome, etc) consider... more »

Any research efforts should include members of target community and their families in the early planning, especially with respect to proposed recruitment, information-gathering, treatment strategies (if appropriate), and analysis. The use of focus groups and consultants will improve the validity and scalability of the research findings. And finally, the ultimate research findings should be shared with those who participated... more »

Significant changes need to take place at an institutional level to advance health disparities research and methods development, including addressing procedures in the grant review and funding processes that systematically limit minoritized researchers' access to grant funding and leadership roles.

Comprehensive conceptualizations of racism that include intersectionality, the use of targeted non-euphemistic terminology, multigenerational models, cultural sensitivity, and interventional studies must be developed to combat health disparities.