PICTURE THIS, AND YES, I DID
JUST START DAY 2 OF EDI FORUM IN
THIS SESSION FROM A QUOTE FROM
ESTELLE GETTY FROM THE GOLDEN
GIRLS AND I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO
APOLOGIZE FOR IT.
YOU'RE SITTING IN A GRAND
CONCERT CALL, MUSICIANS ARE
WARMING UP, CREATING A BLEND OF
SOUNDS.
THEN THE CONDUCTOR STEPS ON TO
THE PLATFORM AND EVERYTHING
CHANGES.
WITH A SINGLE MOVEMENT, THE
ORCHESTRA TRANSFORMS FROM
INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYING
SEPARATE NOTES INTO A
BEAUTIFULLY COORDINATED
SYMPHONY.
EACH MUSICIAN CONTRIBUTING TO
SOMETHING GREATER THAN
THEMSELVES.
THE MUSIC SWELLS, FILLING THE
HALL WITH UNIFIED SOUND THAT
MOVES THE AUDIENCE.
THIS IS WHAT A STRATEGIC PLAN
DOES FOR AN ORGANIZATION.
IT'S LIKE HAVING A SKILLED
CONDUCTOR GUIDING, ALIGNING AND
BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN
EVERYONE.
THE NIH-WIDE DEIA STRATEGIC PLAN
ENSURES THAT EACH OF US, NO
MATTER OUR ROLE, IS PLAYING FROM
THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC.
WORKING IN HARMONY TO CREATE A
MORE DIVERSE, EQUITABLE,
INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE
COMMUNITY.
URBAN INTO WITH IT, WE'RE NOT
JUST MAKING NOISE, BUT WE'RE
MAKING AND CREATING A MOVEMENT.
SO GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS CHARLES LU AND I
SERVE PROUDLY AS THE BRANCH
DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC DIVERSITY
AND INCLUSION WITHIN THE OFFICE
OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION OR EDI HERE AT THE
NIH.
TODAY I'M EXCITED TO PRESENT
MILESTONES IN MOTION, A MID
CYCLE PROGRESS REPORT, ON THE
NIH-WIDE DEIA STRATEGIC PLAN.
I'M DELIGHTED TO BE JOINED BY
SEVERAL COLLEAGUES WHO WILL
INTRODUCE THEMSELVES DURING
TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
AS FOR ME, I'M EXCITED
PARTICULARLY THIS WEEK BECAUSE
I'M CELEBRATING MY SIXTH MONTH
NIH ANNIVERSARY THIS WEEK.
WHILE I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO THE
AGENCY AND TO FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, I'VE BEEN WORKING IN
DEIA FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS.
BEFORE JOINING THE NIH, I HELD
LEADERSHIP ROLES AND SERVED AS A
CLINICAL FACULTY MEMBER AT JOHNS
HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
SAN DIEGO AND THE UNIVERSITY OF
TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
BEFORE WE CONTINUE ON WITH THE
PRESENTATION, I'D LIKE TO
PROVIDE THREE CLARIFYING POINTS.
FIRST, FOR SIMPLICITY, WE WILL
REFER TO THE NIH-WIDE DEIA
STRATEGIC PLAN AS "THE PLAN,"
BECAUSE THAT'S JUST A LOT TO SAY
REPEATEDLY.
SO ANY TIME YOU HEAR "THE PLAN,"
IT REFERS TO THE NIH-WIDE DEIA
STRATEGIC PLAN.
VERY SIMILAR TO IF YOU'RE OLD
ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THIS,
REMEMBER HOW THE FACEBOOK JUST
BECAME "FACEBOOK," AND THEN MARK
ZUCKERBERG TRIED TO MAKE IT META
BUT EVERYONE STILL CALLS IT
FACEBOOK, SO FOR PURPOSES OF
TODAY IT WILL JUST BE CALLED THE
PLAN.
SO NUMBER TWO, SOME OF YOU MAY
HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN CREATING
THE PLAN AND ARE ALREADY
FAMILIAR WITH IT, WHILE OTHERS
MAY BE NEWER AND LESS FAMILIAR.
SO WE'LL START WITH A
FOUNDATIONAL OVERVIEW TO ENSURE
THAT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME
PAGE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS
PRESENTATION.
THIRD, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
PLAN WAS TRANSITIONED TO EDI6
MONTHS AGO, WHEN I FIRST
STARTED.
WHILE WE ARE THE ONES PRESENTING
TODAY AND ON STAGE, WE WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUBSTANTIAL
CONTRIBUTIONS MADE ACROSS THE
NIH COMMUNITY, WHOSE EFFORTS
HAVE BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT.
THERE'S A LOT OF INCREDIBLE DEIA
WORK HAPPENING ACROSS THE
AGENCY, AND TODAY'S PRESENTATION
WILL ONLY HIGHLIGHT AND TOUCH ON
A FEW OF THOSE POINTS.
PLEASE KNOW THAT YOUR
CONTRIBUTIONS, EVEN IF IT'S NOT
HIGHLIGHTED TODAY, ARE CRITICAL
TO ADVANCING DEIA WITHIN OUR
AGENCY.
SO LET'S GO AND GET STARTED.
BUT A LITTLE BIT OF A FAKE OUT
BECAUSE BEFORE WE OFFICIALLY
BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO START WITH A
LITTLE BIT OF A POLL.
SO IF YOU HAVE YOUR PHONE,
PLEASE GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT OUT.
AND I HAVE THE QUESTION, WHAT IS
A WORD THAT YOU ASSOCIATE WITH
THE PLAN?
PLEASE GO AND SCAN THE QR CODE
ON THE SCREEN.
IT GOING TO TAKE YOU TO OUR
POLLING PAGE.
ONCE YOU GET THERE, YOU'RE GOING
TO SEE TWO TABS.
PLEASE CLICK ON THE "OPENING
QUESTION" TAB, AND INSERT YOUR
WORD INTO THE POLL.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE OR SO
TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT IF
YOU'LL SO INDULGE ME, AND WE'LL
SEE THE RESULTS START TO
POPULATE INTO THIS WORD CLOUD.
SO AS THINGS ARE POPULATING,
LET'S TAKE A LOOK FOR THOSE OF
YOU JOINING US VIRTUALLY TODAY,
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO IT'S A ROAD MAP, COMPLICATED,
COMPREHENSIVE, DIVERSITY,
INNOVATION.
OOO, LOVE!
GOT TO LOVE THAT.
GOTTA LOVE LOVE.
EQUITY FOR ALL, GROUNDBREAKING,
UNKNOWN, COMPLEX, IS HUGE.
THE PLAN, THANK YOU FOR
INDULGING ME IN THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
DISJOINTED.
YEAH, LET'S KEEP THAT REAL.
UNSURE, VISIBILITY, MISSION,
WHOLE, UNITY, AMBITIOUS, EQUITY
FOR ALL.
OKAY.
SO AS WE SEE THESE WORDS
POPULATE, THESE ARE ALL GREAT
RESPONSES, BY THE WAY, AND FOR
THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY HAVE
FORGOTTEN OR MAY NOT BE AS
FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAN, TODAY
WE'LL GIVE YOU A REFRESHER ON
THE INTENT AND GOALS, WHAT WE
HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SINCE ITS
RELEASE, AND WHAT YOU CAN LOOK
FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO BACK
TO THE SLIDES, WE'LL GO AHEAD
AND CONTINUE MOVING ON.
THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE
DISCUSSING AND WHAT DO WE HOPE
TO GET OUT OF TODAY?
THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I
ALWAYS ASK WHENEVER I GO INTO A
PRESENTATION.
FIRST, WE'LL START BY PROVIDING
AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN.
I'LL SHARE SOME BACKGROUND ON
HOW THE PLAN WAS DEVELOPED AND
THE KEY OBJECTIVES THAT ARE
GUIDING OUR EFFORTS.
THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO THE CURRENT
LANDSCAPE.
WE'LL REVIEW SOME DATA AND
FINDINGS THAT ILLUSTRATE THE
CURRENT STATE OF DEIA ACROSS THE
NIH, WHICH WILL HELP SET THE
CONTEXT FOR OUR CONVERSATION.
NEXT, WE'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF
THE DEIA ACTIVITIES ALREADY
HAPPENING ACROSS THE AGENCY.
LIKE I MENTIONED, THERE'S GREAT
WORK BEING DONE.
SO WE'LL SHARE SOME RECENT
INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS THAT
HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO SUPPORT
OUR GOALS.
FINALLY, WE'LL OUTLINE NEXT
STEPS AND AS TIME PERMIT, WE'LL
OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS
OR THOUGHTS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT
HAVE.
OUR OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO
PROVIDE CLARITY ON THE DIRECTION
AND IMPACT OF THIS INITIATIVE,
AND ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL
DIALOGUE ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE
ADVANCING OUR MISSION OF
EXCELLENCE AND EQUITY WITHIN THE
NIH COMMUNITY.
SO LET'S START WITH PROVIDING
SOME BACKGROUND ON THE PLAN.
DURING THIS PART OF THE
PRESENTATION, JUST LIKE ANY GOOD
STORY, WE'LL BE ANSWERING THE
WHY, THE HOW AND WHAT OF THE
PLAN.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND START WITH
TALKING ABOUT THE WHY.
AS AN AGENCY OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, EVERYTHING RELATED
TO THE PLAN IS GROUNDED IN
POLICY AND GROUNDED IN LAW.
THE PLAN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY
SHAPED BY DIRECTIVES FROM
CONGRESS INCLUDING THE 2021
CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTIVE REPORT
116-450 ON HR7614.
THIS REPORT CALLED FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC PLAN
WITH LONG-TERM AND SHORT-TERM
GOALS INTO IDENTIFYING AND
ADDRESSING THE RACIAL, ETHNIC
AND GENDER DISPARITIES ACROSS
NIH.
IT ALSO EMPHASIZED THE NEED TO
ELIMINATE BARRIERS THAT LIMIT
ACCESS TO NIH FUNDING FOR
INVESTIGATORS WORKING ON HEALTH
DISPARITIES RESEARCH.
THE PLAN ALSO RESPONDS TO
MULTIPLE EXECUTIVE ORDERS,
ISSUED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE IS EO
14035, WHICH IF YOU ARE HERE
YESTERDAY AT OUR OPENING
SESSION, OUR OPENING SPEAKER
SPOKE ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR
EXECUTIVE ORDER.
SO THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER FOCUSES
ON ADVANCING DEIA WITHIN THE
FEDERAL WORKFORCE.
AND IT WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
GUIDING NIH'S EFFORTS TO FOSTER
MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE
WORKPLACE AND RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENT.
SO BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION
LAID OUT BY EXECUTIVE ORDER
14035, THE ADMINISTRATION
RELEASED THE GOVERNMENT-WIDE
STRATEGIC PLAN TO ADVANCE DEIA
IN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE IN
NOVEMBER OF 2021.
THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER EMPHASIZED
THE IMPORTANCE OF A DIVERSE AND
INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE AND CALLED
ON AGENCIES TO TAKE BOLD ACTION
TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY.
OKAY.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE WHY.
OF
THE PLAN.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HOW.
THE NIH TOOK A COLLABORATIVE AND
INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPING
THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
MANY OF YOU WERE INVOLVED IN
THIS PROCESS WHO ARE SITTING
WITH US TODAY.
WORKING GROUPS WERE FORMED WITH
REPRESENTATION FROM NEARLY EVERY
INSTITUTE AND CENTER AND WE
GATHERED INPUT AND FEEDBACK
THROUGH DATA CALLS AND WEBINARS
TO ENSURE THE PLAN REFLECTED THE
VOICES AND PRIORITIES OF THE
ENTIRE NIH COMMUNITY.
DEVELOPING THE PLAN REQUIRED
PARTICIPATION FROM ALL 27
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS AS WELL
AS NUMEROUS OFFICES WITHIN THE
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR.
IN ADDITION, VARIOUS WORKING
GROUPS, STAFF COMMITTEES,
ADVISORY GROUPS, AND EMPLOYEE
GROUPS FROM ACROSS THE NIH,
PROVIDED INVALUABLE GUIDANCE AND
SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
ALL THESE ENTITIES PLAYED A
CRITICAL ROLE IN ADVISING THE
NIH DIRECTOR ON DECISIONS
REGARDING HOW BEST TO ADVANCE
DEIA ACROSS THE AGENCY.
THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THE NIH
IDENTIFIED A COMMUNITY OF ALMOST
100 OFFICES, COMMITTEES AND
GROUPS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE
NIH-WIDE DEIA ECOSYSTEM.
WITH THIS INPUT AND THE DATA
COLLECTED, WE WERE ABLE TO
DEVELOP A PLAN THAT IS
SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO HOW THE
NIH OPERATES.
WITH TARGETED STRATEGIES TO
PROMOTE AND INCORPORATE DEIA
PRINCIPLES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE
ORGANIZATION.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS CHART.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS CHART IN
SEVERAL FLYERS, PUBLICATIONS AND
MARKETING MATERIALS ACROSS THE
NIH AND WONDER WHAT IT IS.
I KNOW WHEN I APLAYED FOR A JOB
HERE, I SAW THIS EVERYWHERE ON
ALL DIFFERENT WEBSITES, AND I
WAS WONDERING THE SAME THING,
LIKE, WHAT IS THIS, RIGHT?
SO IT IS THE FRAMEWORK THAT SETS
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE PLAN.
THIS FRAMEWORK IS BUILT UPON A
PEOPLE-CENTERED APPROACH TO DEIA
AT NIH.
WE USE OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER
WITH THREE KEY OBJECTIVES:
OPERATIONS, WORKFORCE, AND
RESEARCH.
KEEP THOSE IN MIND BECAUSE WE'LL
COME BACK TO THOSE LATER ON.
EACH OBJECTIVE ALIGNS WITH THE
OVERALL MISSION AND VISION OF
NIH AND THE FRAMEWORK IS GUIDED
BY THREE CROSS-CUTTING THEMES.
PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY,
COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT.
TWO, HARNESS DATA.
AND THREE, FOSTER SUSTAINABLE
CHANGE.
TOGETHER, THESE ELEMENTS SUPPORT
NIH'S GOAL OF BUILDING AN
INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL
FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING.
ALL RIGHT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE WHY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE HOW.
LET'S GET TO THE WHAT.
MOVING FORWARD WITH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN, AND IN
ALIGNMENT WITH THE FRAMEWORK
THAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH, WE'VE
ORGANIZED OUR DEIA PRIORITIES
AROUND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, NEEDS,
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
WITHIN THREE KEY OBJECTIVES:
OPERATIONS, WORKFORCE, AND
RESEARCH.
I TOLD YOU WE WOULD COME BACK TO
THESE.
EACH OF THESE OBJECTIVES
INCLUDES UNDERLYING
SUBOBJECTIVES.
THERE'S EIGHT OF THEM.
FOR EACH SUBOBJECTIVE, THERE ARE
SPECIFIC GOALS.
THERE'S 19 OF THOSE.
AND STRATEGIES, THERE'S 37 OF
THOSE.
THAT OUTLINE HOW WE PLAN TO
ACHIEVE THESE AIMS.
SEE, THIS IS WHY SOMEONE
WROTE -- ACTUALLY MANY OF YOU
WROTE ON THERE ON THE WORD
CLOUD, COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED,
RIGHT?
THERE'S A LOT.
FOR PURPOSES OF TODAY'S
PRESENTATION, THOUGH, WE'RE
GOING TO KEEP A HIGH LEVEL AND
FOCUS ON THE THREE OBJECTIVES
AND EIGHT SUBOBJECTIVES.
ALL RIGHT, SO CONFESSION TIME.
WHEN I FIRST REVIEWED THIS PLAN,
I HAD TO TAKE SOME TIME TO
UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY IT WAS
STRUCTURED IN THIS WAY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE
LOOKED AT THE PLAN AND GONE
THROUGH THAT DOCUMENT, YOU MAY
HAVE WONDERED THE SAME THING.
AS I DUG DEEPER, I STARTED TO
APPRECIATE THE DESIGN MORE AND
MORE.
SO FUN FACT ABOUT ME, ONE OF MY
FAVORITE TV CHANNELS IS HG TV.
I KNOW I WORK AT THE NIH AND I
SHOULD PROBABLY LIKE SOMETHING A
LITTLE MORE SCIENCEY BUT THAT'S
ONE OF MY FAVORITE TV CHANNELS.
I REALLY ENJOY WATCHING HOUSES
BEING BUILT, RENOVATED AND
SEEING THE IMPACT THEY HAVE ON
THE LIVES OF THOSE ON THE SHOW.
THE WAY I THINK ABOUT IT IS I
THINK OF OUR PLAN IN A VERY
SIMILAR WAY.
THESE THREE OBJECTIVES ARE
INTERCONNECTED AND BUILT OFF ONE
ANOTHER MUCH LIKE CONSTRUCTING A
HOUSE.
OPERATIONS SERVES AS THE LAND
THAT WE'RE BUILDING ON, LAYING
THE GROUNDWORK THROUGH IMPROVED
POLICIES, PROCESSES AND
PRACTICES THAT REMOVE BARRIERS
AND PROMOTE EQUITY ACROSS NIH.
OUR OPERATIONS ENSURES THAT WE
HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION TO
SUPPORT OUR FUTURE PROGRESS.
NEXT AND THEN ONLY NEXT IS OUR
WORKFORCE.
AND OUR WORKFORCE SERVES AS THE
FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE.
A STRONG AND DIVERSE WORKFORCE
IS ESSENTIAL FOR HOLDING UP THE
STRUCTURE AND ENSURING
STABILITY.
IT INVOLVES RECRUITING,
RETAINING AND SUPPORTING A
WORKFORCE THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF
SOCIETY'S DIVERSITY AND
COMMITTED TO ADVANCING DEIA
PRINCIPLES.
FINALLY, RESEARCH REPRESENTS THE
ACTUAL STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSE.
THE TANGIBLE OUTPUT AND IMPACT
OF OUR EFFORTS.
BY EMBEDDING DEIA INTO
NIH-FUNDED RESEARCH INITIATIVES,
WE ENSURE THAT OUR SCIENTIFIC
ENDEAVORS ARE INCLUSIVE, EQUITY
AND IMPACTFUL.
THIS APPROACH BROADENS
PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH,
ADDRESSES HEALTH DISPARITIES AND
MAKES CERTAIN THAT OUR WORK IS
RELEVANT AND BENEFICIAL FOR ALL
COMMUNITIES.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL NOW PASS
IT ON TO MY COLLEAGUE, LARISSA,
WHO WILL TALK ABOUT THE
LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, AND
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO
BE HERE TODAY.
I'M LARISSA SMITH, I'M A
STRATEGIST ON DR. LU'S TEAM, AND
MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE AND HER.
I'M WEARING A TAN BLAZER WITH A
BLACK DRESS THAT HAS WHITE
STRIPES AND I'M A MEDIUM BUILD
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WITH
LOCKS.
AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
PLAN IN 2023, NIH CONDUCTED A
LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TO FIND AND
COLLECT THE DEIA ACTIVITIES
TAKING PLACE ACROSS THE AGENCY,
AND ASSESS HOW THEY CORRESPOND
TO THE PRIORITIES IN THE PLAN.
THIS INCLUDED LOOKING AT NIH'S
DEIA ACTIVITIES PROFILE TO
DETERMINE WHAT SPECIFIC
OBJECTIVES AND SUBOBJECTIVES OF
THE PLAN THE ACTIVITIES
CURRENTLY BEING CONDUCTED
SUPPORTED.
AS A RESULT, WE WERE ABLE TO
IDENTIFY AND MAP ACTIVITIES TO
THE PLAN'S OBJECTIVES, AS WELL
AS IDENTIFY EXISTING GAPS AND
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
IN TERMS OF WORKFLOW, THERE ARE
THREE PRIMARY INPUTS USED TO
CREATE THE LANDSCAPE AND GAP
ANALYSIS.
THIS INCLUDES A SELF-REPORT DEIA
ACTIVITIES INVENTORY AT THE ICO
LEVEL.
MANY OF YOU MAY RECALL THAT DATA
CALLS WENT OUT IN 2021 AND 2022,
ASKING FOLKS TO ENTER THE DEIA
ACTIVITY BEING CONDUCTED ACROSS
THEIR VARIOUS ICOs IN THE
SYSTEM.
ADDITIONALLY, INFORMATION FROM
THE UNITE INVENTORY WHICH WAS
DETAILED, ALL OF NIH'S DEIA
ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION FROM
THE NIH'S DEIA WORKING GROUP'S
MISSION AND VALUE STATEMENT
SERVED AS INPUTS TO HELP INFORM
THE LANDSCAPE AND GAP ANALYSIS.
IN TERMS OF METHODOLOGY,
IDENTIFIED ACTIVITIES WERE THEN
MAPPED TO THE PLAN AND
CROSS-REFERENCED AT THE ICO
STRATEGIC PLAN LEVEL, SUPPORTING
DEIA EFFORTS.
THE RESULTS WERE INFORMED --
INFORMED THE GAP ANALYSIS.
ULTIMATELY ALL THESE EFFORTS
CULMINATED INTO THE CREATION OF
TWO SEMINAL PRODUCTS, THE FIRST
BEING THE NIH DEIA ACTIVITY
SPREADSHEET, AND THE SECOND, THE
DEIA STRATEGIC PLAN
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AREAS OF
IMPROVEMENT.
THESE ANALYTIC EFFORTS HELP US
TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE STAND AS
AN AGENCY AND RECOGNIZE OUR
STRENGTHS AND AREAS WHERE WE CAN
IMPROVE.
LASTLY, THE OUTPUTS THAT
RESULTED IN THIS WORK CAN BE
FOUND AND SHARED ON OUR
DEVELOPED WEBSITE WHICH WILL BE
DISSEMINATED POST-PRESENTATION.
SO WHA WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN
PRACTICALLY?
OUT OF 2,749 RECORDS THAT WERE
REVIEWED, WE WERE ABLE TO
SUCCESSFULLY MAP 2,236 UNIQUE
ACTIVITY TO ONE OR MORE OF THE
STRATEGIC PLAN'S OBJECTIVES AND
SUBOBJECTIVES.
334 ACTIVITIES WERE NOT INCLUDED
IN MAPPING EFFORTS, AS THEY WERE
NOT COMPLETED BY THE END OF
2021, WHICH WAS PART OF THE
INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR MAPPING,
AND 33 ACTIVITIES WERE NOT
INCLUDED AS THEY DID NOT ALIGN
WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THESE THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
EFFORTS GAVE WAY TO THE CREATION
OF A DATABASE THAT HAS ALL OF
THE DEIA ACTIVITIES BEING
CONDUCTED ACROSS THE AGENCY.
SO NOW THAT WE HAVE A GRASP ON
THE ANALYTICS, HOW DO THESE DEIA
ACTIVITIES DRIVE THE WORK WE DO
ACROSS THE AGENCY?
LET'S LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF
HOW THIS WORK HAS BEEN
IMPLEMENTED AND WHERE WE CAN MAP
THEM BACK PRACTICALLY TO THE
PLAN.
BEGINNING WITH OBJECTIVE ONE,
WHICH FOCUSES ON GROWING AND
SUSTAINING DEIA THROUGH
STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE,
THESE SUBOBJECTIVES SUPPORT THAT
ULTIMATE GOAL.
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.1, OPTIMIZING
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
COMMUNICATES THE INTEGRATION OF
DEIA PRINCIPLES INTO ALL ASPECTS
OF NIH'S OPERATIONAL PROCESSES.
THE GOAL IS TO MAXIMIZE THE
ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS,
ENSURING THAT EQUALITY AND
PROGRAMMATIC INTEGRITY ARE
MAXIMIZED.
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.2, FOSTERING A
CULTURE OF GOOD SCIENTIFIC
STEWARDSHIP, FOCUSES ON THE
POLICIES AND PRACTICES TO ENSURE
THAT EFFECTIVE USE OF FUNDING
APPROACHES THAT ADVANCE DEIA IS
MAPPED APPROPRIATELY.
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.3 ENSURES
ACCOUNTABILITY AND FOSTERING
CONFIDENCE, AND OBJECTIVE 1.4
FOCUSES ON LEVERAGING EXTERNAL
PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT.
NIH UNITE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF
HOW OBJECTIVE 1.1, OPTIMIZING
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION,
HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
UNITE ACTS AS A THINK TANK TO
PROMOTE EQUALITY, GENERATE BOLD
IDEAS AND CATALYZE NEW ACTIONS.
IT IDENTIFIES AND ADDRESSES
STRUCTURAL RACISM WITHIN NIH AND
THE BROADER BIOMEDICAL AND
BIOBEHAVIORAL WORKFORCE.
AND SEEKS TO IDENTIFY
OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS, AS WELL AS
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES
TO ADVANCE DEIA EFFORTS.
THE FACULTY INSTITUTIONAL
RECRUITMENT FOR SUSTAINABILITY
TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, OR FIRST
FOR SHORT, IS A PROGRAM THAT'S
MEANT TO DRAMATICALLY AFFECT
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH BY ACHIEVING
A SET OF HIGH IMPACT GOALS
WITHIN A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME.
TYPICALLY THAT TIME FRAME IS NOT
TO EXCEED 10 YEARS.
THE COMMON FUND ALSO SUPPORTS
NOVEL APPROACHES FOR TESTING NEW
WAYS OF SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE BY
FOCUSING ON BOTH RECRUITMENT AND
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR
FACULTY.
THE GOAL OF THE FIRST PROGRAM IS
TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BACKED
STRATEGIES THAT SIGNIFICANTLY
IMPACT AN INCLUSIVE -- AND
EXCELLENCE WITHIN RESEARCH AND
ULTIMATELY LOOK TO DIVERSIFY THE
RESEARCH PORTFOLIO.
WHEN TAKING A LOOK AT
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.2, THE MAXIMIZING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTIFIC AND
ACADEMIC INDEPENDENCE CAREERS,
OR THE MOSAIC PROGRAM, IS A
GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS HAS
BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
THE MOSAIC PROGRAM SUPPORTS
NIH'S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE A
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE
THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM THE FULL
RANGE OF PERSPECTIVES,
EXPERIENCES, AND BACKGROUNDS
NEEDED TO ACHIEVE DISCOVERY.
ULTIMATELY THE MOSAIC PROGRAM
SEEKS TO FACILITATE A TIMELY
TRANSITION OF PROMISING
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS FROM
DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS FROM THEIR
MENTORED, POSTDOCTORAL
POSITIONS, TO FULL FACULTY
TENURE TRACK OR EQUIVALENT
POSITIONS FOCUSED ON RESEARCH.
THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO
SUPPORT POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
WHO HAVE ALREADY DEMONSTRATED
MEANINGFUL SUPPORT FOR DEIA
ACTIVITIES IN THE BOY OWE -- INE
BIOMEDICAL SPACE.
A K99/R0 AWARD, AND THE
ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH
EDUCATIONAL COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENT, WHICH IS A U55.
THE THING THAT'S VERY
INTERESTING AND NOTABLE ABOUT
THIS PROGRAM IS SINCE ITS
INCEPTION IN 2021, OVER 90% OF
THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE
SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED TO
ACADEMIC POSITIONS, MEETING THE
GOAL OF THE PROGRAM.
THE OTHER REMAINING 10% ARE
STILL CYCLING THROUGH THE
PROGRAM, SO WE CAN SEE THIS IS A
VERY EFFECTIVE WAY THAT
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.2 HAS BEEN
IMPLEMENTED.
NEXT WHEN LOOKING AT
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.3, A GREAT
EXAMPLE IS THE STATE OF THE I.C.
BRIEFINGS WHICH FOCUS ON
ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY AND
FOSTERING CONFIDENCE.
EACH I.C. RECEIVES A CUSTOMIZED
BRIEFING FROM EDI BASED ON A
SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST, AND
I.C.-SPECIFIC EQUAL EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENTS, WHICH
ARE TIED TO A FEDERALLY MANDATED
DIRECTIVE, MD715.
ALSO, THIS POLICY GUIDELINE SETS
STANDARDS FOR ESTABLISHING AND
MAIN TA TAINING EFFECTIVE
AFFIRMATIVE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS
AND REQUIRES AGENCIES TO TAKE
APPROPRIATE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT
POLICY, PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES
ARE CONDUCTED IN A
DISCRIMINATION-FREE MANNER FOR
ALL EMPLOYEES.
BEFORE THE BRIEFING, EACH I.C.
IS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO
COMPLETE AN I.C. SELF-ASSESSMENT
CHECKLIST, WHICH SERVES AS THE
FOUNDATION FOR THE I.C.'S
CUSTOMIZED BRIEFING.
ADDITIONALLY, EACH I.C. IS
PROVIDED AN I.C.-SPECIFIC
ASSESSMENT BASED ON EEO
ADMINISTRATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
THAT PROVIDES AND IDENTIFIES
BARRIERS TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY,
AS WELL AS DEVELOP ACTION PLANS
AND ENHANCES THE UNDERSTANDING
OF EEO PRINCIPLES FOR THE
I.C.s THAT RECEIVE THE
BRIEFING.
ANOTHER ACTIVITY THAT HIGHLIGHTS
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.3 IS THE
MANDATORY EEO TRAINING FOR ALL
SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS WHICH
IS OFFERED CONTINUOUSLY
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN VARIOUS
FORMATS.
THE TRAINING COVERS A WIDE ARRAY
OF TOPICS INCLUDING EEO
REGULATIONS, DISPUTE
RESOLUTIONS, SPECIAL EMPHASIS
PROGRAM, AND THE ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISORS
AND MANAGERS SUPPORTING EEO.
THIS WILL HELP SUPERVISORS AND
MANAGERS BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE
THEIR ROLES AN RESPONSIBILITIES
ARE WITH REGARD TO EEO
REQUIREMENTS.
AND LASTLY BUT CERTAINLY NOT
LEAST, AN EXAMPLE OF HOW
SUBOBJECTIVE 1.4 OF LEVERAGING
EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS AND
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN
IMPLEMENTED CAN BE SEEN WHEN
LOOKING AT THE COMPASS PROGRAM.
THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TO
ADVANCE SCIENCE IN SOCIETY, ALSO
KNOWN AS THE COMPASS PROGRAM,
AIMS TO CATALYZE, DEPLOY, AND
EVALUATE COMMUNITY-LED HEALTH
EQUITY STRUCTURES BY INTERVENING
AND PARTNERING WITH MULTIPLE
SECTORS TO REDUCE HEALTH
DISPARITIES.
THE PLAN BUDGET IS APPROXIMATELY
$200 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS, WHICH WILL FUND 25
COMMUNITY-LED STRUCTURAL
INTERVENTIONS.
IT WILL ALSO FUND ONE AWARD FOR
THE COMPASS COORDINATION CENTER
AND UP TO FIVE HEALTH EQUITY
RESEARCH HUBS.
IN TERMS OF KEY ACHIEVEMENTS,
COMPASS WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTING
A LISTENING SESSION WITH OVER
500 PARTICIPANTS TO HELP GUIDE
THIS WORK, SO BOTH INTERNAL AND
EXTERNAL FEEDBACK WILL BE
GARNERED.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT OVER
TO MY COLLEAGUE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LET TURN OUR ATTENTION TO
OBJECTIVE 2, WHICH AS YOU MIGHT
REMEMBER FOCUSES ON WORKFORCE.
SUBOBJECTIVE 2.1, CULTIVATING
DEIA WITHIN THE WORKFORCE AT
NIH, DEMONSTRATES OUR COMMITMENT
TO BUILDING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE
EVERYONE AT NIH FEELS RESPECTED,
VALUED AND EMPOWERED TO GROW.
THIS SUBOBJECTIVE COVERS EFFORTS
TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT,
RETENTION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT
FOR UNDERREPRESENTED AND
UNDERSERVED GROUPS.
WHETHER IT'S CREATING MORE
INCLUSIVE HIRE PRACTICES OR
PROVIDING MENTORSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES WEE WORKING TO
ENSURE THAT DIVERSE TALENT CAN
THRIVE AT NIH.
SUBOBJECTIVE 2.2, STRENGTHENING
DEIA WITHIN THE WORKFORCE AT
NIH-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS,
SHIFTS THE FOCUS TO OUR EXTERNAL
PARTNERS.
NIH IS NOT JUST LOOKING INWARD,
BUT WE'RE ALSO LEADING BY
EXAMPLE IN SUPPORTING THE
BROADER BIOMEDICAL AND
BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH COMMUNITY.
WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH
NIH-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS TO
HELP THEM BUILD THEIR OWN
DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE WORKFORCEY
IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES THAT
ALIGN WITH OUR DEIA VISION.
NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME
PROJECT INITIATIVES THAT ALIGN
WITH THIS PARTICULAR OBJECTIVE
AND HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACT THAT
WE'RE MAKING.
FOR SUBOBJECTIVE 2.1 FOCUSING ON
CULTIVATING DEIA WITHIN THE NIH
WORKFORCE, LET'S DIVE INTO THE
EMERGING TALENT PROGRAM, OR ETP.
THE ETP IS DESIGNED TO CREATE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYEES TO
ENHANCE THEIR SKILLS, PURSUE
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, AND BUILD
CONNECTIONS ACROSS NIH.
DESIGNED FOR NIH GS5 THROUGH
GS11 EMPLOYEES AND EQUIVALENTS,
THIS PROGRAM GOES BEYOND JUST
TRAINING.
IT'S ABOUT FOSTERING
COLLABORATION, INNOVATION AND
CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE
AGENCY.
FOR 2024, THE NIH TRAINING
CENTER INVITED I.C. EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS TO NOMINATE
PARTICIPANTS FOR TWO PILOT
GROUPS.
EACH CONSISTING OF 30 EMPLOYEES.
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE
CREATING A PATHWAY FOR
PARTICIPANTS NOT ONLY TO DEVELOP
NEW SKILLS, BUT ALSO ACTIVELY
ENGAGE IN CROSS-NIH PROJECTS AND
INITIATIVES.
BY PRIORITIZING A CONTINUOUS
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT, THE
ETP IS HELPING NIH EMPLOYEES
GROW THEIR CAREERS WHILE ALSO
CONTRIBUTING MORE EFFECTIVELY TO
THE AGENCY'S MISSION.
HISTORICALLY, CAREER DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITIES WERE MORE
ACCESSIBLE TO GS12 TO 15 LEVELS,
LEAVING A GAP IN SUPPORT FOR
THOSE AT GRADES 5 THROUGH 11.
SO THE ETP ADDRESSES THIS
DISPARITY BY CENTERING EQUITY
AND INCLUSION, PROVIDING ACCESS
TO GROWTH AND EXPANDING THE
NETWORK FOR VARIOUS
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE
PREVIOUSLY OUT OF REACH.
AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF
SUBOBJECTIVE 2.2, STRENGTHENING
DEIA WITHIN THE WORKFORCE AT
NIH-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS, IS
THE ENHANCING AND ADVANCING
RESEARCH WORKFORCE DIVERSITY OR
EARA PROGRAM.
THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROMOTE
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE BY
ENHANCING RESEARCH CAPACITY AT
RESEARCH-ACTIVE INSTITUTIONS OR
RAIs, INCLUDING THOSE IN
UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.
IT PROVIDES EVIDENCE-BASED
TOOLS, RESOURCES AND
INTERVENTIONS TO CREATE
EQUITABLE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENTS
AND FOSTER DIVERSE RESEARCH
TEAMS.
THIS PROGRAM WORKS WITH AROUND
50 RAIs, SUCH AS HISTORICALLY
BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
OR HBCUs, TRIBAL COLLEGES OR
TCUs AND MINORITY SERVING
INSTITUTIONS OR MSIs TO
INCREASE AWARENESS IN
UTILIZATION OF NIH RESOURCES,
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND EXPAND
RAI OUTCOMES.
AS WELL AS SUPPORTING RAIs IN
URND SERVED COMMUNITIES AND
TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO
CULTURALLY COMPETENT HEALTH
IMPROVEMENTS.
IN RESPONSE TO THE COMMITTEE,
THE PROGRAM TACKLES
INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS FOR
RAIs.
AND I'LL GO AND PASS IT ON TO MY
COLLEAGUE, CAITLYN, WHO WILL GO
THROUGH OBJECTIVE 3.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS CAITLYN.
I'M STARTING WEEK 5 ON THE SDI
TEAM AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT
OBJECTIVE 3.
SO LET'S EXPLORE THE
SUBOBJECTIVES, FOCUS ON
PROMOTING WORKFORCE RESEARCH AND
ENHANCING RESEARCH WITHIN THE
3.1, PROMOTING WORKFORCE
RESEARCH, SHOWS THAT NIH IS
COMMITTING TO SUPPORTING
VIGOROUS RESEARCH AIMED AT
DETERMINING THE MOST EFFECTIVE
POLICIES, PRACTICES AND
PROCEDURES FOR ENHANCING DEIA
WITHIN THE WORKFORCE AT NIH AND
NIH-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS.
THIS SUBOBJECTIVE EMPHASIZES THE
IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HOW
DEIA IN THE WORKFORCE CAN
FURTHER ADVANCE THE NIH MISSION.
SUBOBJECTIVE 3.2, ENHANCING
HEALTH RESEARCH, DESCRIBES THAT
NIH WILL BUILD ON ITS ROBUST
PORTFOLIO OF RESEARCH, MINORITY
HEALTH AND HET DISPARITIES AS A
CRITICAL COMPONENT OF DEIA.
THIS SUBOBJECTIVE FOCUSES ON
HEALTH RESEARCH THAT IS
INCLUSIVE AND RECOGNIZES THE
INTERSECTIONALITY OF DEFINING
CHARACTERISTICS AND LIVED
EXPERIENCES.
THE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE
SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR ALL
POPULATIONS.
BY ACKNOWLEDGING AND ADDRESSING
THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF FACTORS
THAT INFLUENCE HEALTH OUTCOMES,
NIH AIMS TO PRODUCE RESEARCH
THAT IS MORE REPRESENTATIVE AND
RELEVANT TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.
FOR SUBOBJECTIVE 3.1, WHICH
FOCUSES ON ADVANCING WORKFORCE
RESEARCH, WE'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG
ABUSE, NIDA, DIVERSITY SCHOLARS
NETWORK.
THE NIDA DIVERSITY SCHOLARS
NETWORK IS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE
THE FUNDING SUCCESS OF EARLY
CAREER INVESTIGATORS FROM
DIVERSE AND UNDERREPRESENTED
BACKGROUNDS.
THROUGH A SERIES OF THREE
TARGETED WORKSHOPS AND
INDIVIDUAL COACHING SESSIONS,
PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE
COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT TO DEVELOP
A COMPLETE RESEARCH OR CAREER
DEVELOPMENT AWARD APPLICATION
FOR NIDA FUNDING CONSIDERATION.
THE WORKSHOPS COVER CENTRAL
TOPICS SUCH AS DMES TI GUYING
THE NIH GRANTS PROCESS,
MASTERING GRANT-WRITING
FUNDAMENTALS, ENGAGING WITH
PROGRAM OFFICERS, AND
PARTICIPATING IN A MOCKERY VIEW
OF THE GRANT APPLICATION.
THE PROGRAM'S IMPACT HAS BEEN
SUBSTANTIAL.
FROM 2016 TO 2021, 53% OF
PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED FUNDING
WITHIN THE FIRST TWO YEARS.
THE SUCCESS RATE INCREASED TO
69% WITHIN FOUR YEARS,
COMPLETING THE PROGRAM.
BY PROVIDING TARGETED GUIDANCE
AND RESOURCES, THE NIDA
DIVERSITY SCHOLARS NETWORK IS
FOSTERING A MORE INCLUSIVE AND
DIVERSE RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND
IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE
ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC
ADVANCEMENT AND HEALTH EQUITY.
NEXT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MINORITY
HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES,
NIMHD, HEALTH DISPARITIES
RESEARCH INSTITUTE, HDRI, WHICH
ALIGNS WITH SUBOBJECTIVE 3.2,
FOCUSING ON ENHANCING HEALTH
RESEARCH.
THE HGRI IS DEDICATED TO
CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION
OF MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH
DISPARITIES RESEARCHERS.
THE PROGRAM FEATURES LECTURES ON
MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH
DISPARITIES RESEARCH, SMALL
GROUP DISCUSSION, MOCK GRANT
REVIEWS AND SEMINARS ON CRITICAL
TOPICS, SUCH AS THE ETIOLOGY OF
HEALTH DISPARITIES, RESEARCH
DESIGN, METHODS AND MEASUREMENT,
AND INTERVENTION AND
IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH.
SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2016,
HGRI HAS SUPPORTED OVER 500
SCHOLARS REPRESENTING MORE THAN
25 STATES, PUERTO RICO, GUAM,
AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
BY EQUIPPING THESE EMERGING
RESEARCHERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS TO ADDRESS COMPLEX
HEALTH DISPARITIES, THE HDRI IS
MAKING SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON
ENHANCING HEALTH RESEARCH AND
ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY.
I'D LIKE TO CALL UP DR. LU TO
GIVE OUR CLOSING REMARKS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO WE DISCUSSED A LOT TODAY AND
WE HOPE THAT THIS HAS BEEN
HELPFUL FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND
THE NIH-WIDE DEIA STRATEGIC
PLAN.
SO GIVEN THE INFORMATION THAT
YOU HAVE NOW, PLEASE GO AND TAKE
OUT YOUR PHONES, USE THIS QR
CODE AGAIN, AND LET US KNOW, AND
THIS TIME YOU'RE GOING TO CLICK
ON THE "CLOSING QUESTION," WHAT
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE COME OUT
OF THE PLAN FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THE CYCLE?
AND I THINK FOR THE PURPOSES OF
TIME, WE WON'T GENERATE THE WORD
CLOUD, BUT WE WOULD STILL LIKE
TO COLLECT THIS FEEDBACK FOR US
IN THE FUTURE.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE LET US
KNOW THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO WHAT'S NEXT ON OUR END FOR
THE DEIA STRATEGIC PLAN?
WITH AN EDI, WE ARE PREPARING
FOR SEVERAL ACTION STEPS TO
ENSURE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE THE
MOMENTUM OF THE WORK THAT IS
BEING DONE ACROSS THE AGENCY.
SO THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT AREAS
THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON.
THE FIRST ONE IS DATA ORIENTED
EFFORTS.
UTILIZING DATA TO INFORM OUR
EFFORTS IS KEY TO IMPLEMENTING
THE DEIA STRATEGIC PLAN.
BY ANALYZING TRENDS AND METRICS,
WE CAN IDENTIFY AREAS OF
OPPORTUNITY, MEASURE PROGRESS
AND MAKE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS
THAT ENSURE OUR INITIATIVES ARE
BOTH IMPACTFUL AND MEASURABLE.
NUMBER TWO, EDUCATIONAL
ENGAGEMENTS.
TO FOSTER A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
OF THE PLAN, WE'LL BE OFFERING
EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS AND
PRESENTATIONS TAILORED TO
VARIOUS GROUPS IN INSTITUTES AND
CENTERS.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE A
REPRESENTATIVE FROM EDI TO
PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEI
STRATEGIC TEAM, PLEASE REACH OUT
TO US.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING
OUR STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH THESE
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO
ENHANCE DEIA INTEGRATION ACROSS
THE AGENCY.
NUMBER THREE, POLICY DEVELOPMENT
AND ALIGNMENT.
CENTRAL TO OUR EFFORTS IS THE
DEVELOPMENT AND ALIGNMENT OF
DEIA POLICIES.
WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH NIH
STAKEHOLDERS TO CREATE LEGALLY
SOUND AND IMPACTFUL POLICIES IN
CIVIL RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION.
OUR GOAL IS TO ALIGN THE PLAN
WITH EXISTING NIH POLICIES, EEOC
MANAGEMENT DIRECTIVES SUCH AS
THE ND715 AND RELEVANT
PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
BY DOING SO, WE ENSURE COHESIVE
POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT SUPPORTS
DEIA OBJECTIVES.
THE FOURTH, STRATEGIC PLANNING
SUPPORT.
WE VALUE OUR ROLES AS STRATEGIC
PARTNERS IN HELPING YOUR
RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOP
AND IMPLEMENT DEIA STRATEGIES.
OUR TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND COLLABORATE
ON STRATEGY ALIGNED ACTIVITIES
TO DRIVE MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO STRENGTHENING
THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND EXPANDING
OUR SUPPORT TO ALIGN WITH YOUR
EVOLVING NEEDS.
AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST
IS OUR WEBSITE AND RESOURCE
UPDATES.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING
OUR WEBSITE TO INCLUDE NEW
RESOURCES AND DETAILED
INFORMATION ON THE DEIA
STRATEGIC PLAN.
THIS ENHANCED PLATFORM WILL
SERVE AS A HUB FOR DEIA-RELATED
CONTENT AND SUPPORT TOOLS,
MAKING IT EASIER FOR YOU TO
ACCESS THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO
INFORM AND ADVANCE YOUR DEIA
EFFORTS.
SO WITH THAT, WE WANT TO THANK
YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY
REALLY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND
ENGAGING IN OUR SESSION ON THE
PLAN.
AT THE BEGINNING, WE TALKED
ABOUT HOW THE PLAN IS LIKE A
SYMPHONY, BRINGING TOGETHER
DIFFERENT VOICES AND TALENTS
ACROSS THE NIH TO CREATE A
UNIFIED SOUND.
TODAY'S DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTED
THE MANY WAYS THAT OUR
COLLECTIVE EFFORTS ARE
HARMONIZING TO BUILD A MORE
DIVERSE, EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE
AND ACCESSIBLE RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENT.
EACH INITIATIVE, EACH
CONVERSATION, AND EACH
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION IS A
NOTE THAT ENRICHES THE OVERALL
MELODY.
TODAY WE ARE NOT JUST PLAYING
SEPARATE PIECES, WE'RE
ORCHESTRATING A TRANSFORMATIVE
MOVEMENT THAT RESONATES
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE AGENCY.
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU, AND
WE'LL GO AND OPEN IT UP FOR
QUESTIONS AND ANY THOUGHTS.
[APPLAUSE]
>> GOOD MORNING, DR. LU.
A COUPLE OF PEOPLE PULLED ME TO
THE SIDE AND HAD A QUESTION FOR
YOU.
IT'S REGARDING THE LANGUAGE AND
THE CONCEPTS USED IN THE DEIA
STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S
SOMEWHAT -- IT'S A LITTLE BIT
REPETITIVE, AND SO I GUESS THE
QUESTION IS, WAS THIS
INTENTIONAL, WAS IT AN
OVERSIGHT, OR BOTH?
AND COULD YOU PROVIDE US SOME
CONTEXT FOR THAT?
>> SURE.
SO I'LL ADDRESS TWO SEPARATE
PARTS.
FIRST OFF, THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION.
I'LL ADDRESS TWO PARTS OF THE
QUESTION.
THE FIRST ONE IS KIND OF
CONSISTENCY OF LANGUAGE.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE STRATEGIC
PLAN, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PLACE
WHERE THEY SPECIFICALLY HAVE
WORDS, KEYWORDS, AND OFFICIAL
DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE OF THE WAY
THAT THE NIH DEFINES THOSE
KEYWORDS.
SO I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE FOR
FOLKS TO TAKE A LOOK THROUGH
THAT BECAUSE THAT DEFINES THAT
THROUGHOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THE SECOND ONE HAS TO DO WITH
THE REPETITIVENESS CERTAIN
STRATEGIES, AND TO BE HONEST,
WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH IT I
HAD THE SAME QUESTION AS WELL.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, A GOOD SPECIFIC
EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THAT
SURROUNDING DISABILITIES.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE PLAN,
THERE'S THREE SPECIFIC
STRATEGIES THAT ARE TARGETED ON
DISABILITIES WITHIN NIH.
BUT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE
THEY SIT, THEY ACTUALLY SIT IN
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
OBJECTIVES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THEM IS
AN OBJECTIVE 1 THAT TALKS MORE
ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL PIECES, SO
THINGS LIKE FACILITIES,
OPERATIONS, THAT SITS WITHIN
OBJECTIVE 1.
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT TALKS
MORE ABOUT SUPPORTING FOLKS WITH
DISABILITIES WITHIN THE
WORKFORCE.
SO THAT SITS WITHIN OBJECTIVE 2.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, EVEN THOUGH
THERE MIGHT BE SOME REPETITION
IN TERMS OF WHO OR, YOU KNOW,
THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT THE PLAN
IS SUPPORTING, IT REALLY DEPENDS
ON WHERE IT IS THE MOST ALIGNED
WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR
QUESTION.
THANK YOU.
>> HI, DR. LU.
I HAD A QUESTION.
I NOTICED THAT THE PLAN ENDS IN
2025.
SO I WANTED TO ASK WHAT YOUR
VISION IS, AS WE LOOK AT THIS
PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
DO YOU SEE US MAKING ANY
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OR ARE WE
PLANNING TO CONTINUE THE PLAN
THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PUT FORTH AS
WE LOOK PAST 2025?
>> THANK YOU.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO THE PLAN ENDS IN 2027.
SO WE'RE MID-CYCLE ROUGHLY OR
SO, WHICH IS WHY THE TITLE OF
THIS PRESENTATION IS A MID CYCLE
PROGRESS REPORT.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, A BIG PART
OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS REALLY
AMPLIFYING AND CONNECTING A LOT
OF THE GREAT WORK THAT'S BEING
DONE ACROSS THE AGENCY.
AS WE ALL KNOW, NIH IS HUGE.
I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR SIX
MONTHS.
EVERY SINGLE WEEK, EVERY SINGLE
DAY I LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT
THE AGENCY, AND REALLY GREAT
WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
SO WHAT OUR TEAM IS REALLY DOING
IS ALIGNING AND AMPLIFYING THE
WORK THAT'S BEING DONE TO THE
STRATEGIC PLAN.
AS FAR AS THE NEXT CYCLE GOES,
SO WITHOUT SPEAKING TOO MUCH
ABOUT IT, BUT I KNOW THAT JUST
AS PART OF STRATEGIC PLANNING
PROCESSES USUALLY PLAN OUT A
YEAR FROM THAT, SO I BELIEVE FOR
THE NEXT CYCLE, WE WOULD START
HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITHIN
THE NEXT TWO YEARS OR SO.
THANK YOU.
>> YES, DR. LU, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ALONG
WITH YOUR TEAM.
IT WAS OUTSTANDING.
AND I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT
THAT THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX
ENDEAVOR TO PULL ALL THE PIECES
OF THE PUZZLE TOGETHER.
NIH HAS HAD A PLETHORA, RUNS OF
DEIA INITIATIVES OVER THE YEARS,
OR THOUSANDS.
TO PULL THEM ALL TOGETHER INTO
ONE STRATEGIC PLAN IS NO EASY
FEAT, SO I APPLAUD YOU AND YOUR
TEAM FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER,
IN A USER-FRIENDLY,
UNDERSTANDABLE WAY SO THAT THE
ENTIRE NIH CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S
HAPPENING, AND TRACKING AND
ENSURING THAT ALL OF THE
ACTIVITIES ARE CAPTURED
PROPERLY.
SO KUDOS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
>> THANK YOU.
AND --
[APPLAUSE]
LIKE I MENTIONED, I WOULD BE
REMISS IF WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT
ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT WAS
REALLY DONE ACROSS THE AGENCY TO
GET US TO THIS POINT TODAY.
THANK YOU.
>> I HAD A SIMILAR COMMENT,
DR. LIU, IN THAT YOUR
PRESENTATION REALLY IS A
SNAPSHOT OF ALL THE GOOD WORK
THAT'S OCCURRING.
AND I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE
YEARS AND NEVER SAW -- THERE WAS
NEVER AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IT
WIDESPREAD.
SO I'M OFTEN ASKED OUTSIDE OF
EDI KIND OF WHAT ARE YOU ALL
DOING, WHAT IS NIH DOING FOR
DEIA AND I CAN ALWAYS POINT TO
TWO OR THREE THINGS, BUT YOUR
LEADING THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND
THIS PRESENTATION SPECIFICALLY,
I KNOW I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER
FOR REAP, WE'LL BE HAVING YOU
COME TALK TO THAT COMMUNITY,
BECAUSE I THINK AS WE BECOME
EDUCATED OF ALL THE GOOD WORK,
IT INSPIRES KIND OF THE WORK
THAT WE DO IN EVERY ASPECT AND
EVERY I.C. SPECIFICALLY AT EDI
WHEN WE DO OUR WORK TO KNOW THAT
THIS GOOD WORK IS HAPPENING
ACROSS THE CAMPUS, WE KNOW IT'S
HAPPENING BUT YOU'VE ACTUALLY
PLACED IT INTO A PRESENTATION,
AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
LIKE I MENTIONED, THERE'S SO
MUCH GREAT WORK GOING ACROSS THE
AGENCY.
I LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY
ABOUT JUST REALLY GREAT WORK
THAT'S GOING ON TO ADVANCE DEIA.
SO I WILL CONTINUE TO BE THAT
ANNOYING PERSON IN THE ROOM, DID
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING EYE
LINE WITH 2.1. # OR WHATEVER
WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, SO
HAPPY TO BE THAT ANNOYING PERSON
IN THE ROOM.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. LIU,
AND I THINK THAT WAS QUITE
PRECISE.
AND IT KIND OF BRINGS TOGETHER
ALL THE ASPECTS OF WHAT DEIA IS
WORKING ON AND WHAT THEY CAN
CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS ACHIEVING IT.
PROBABLY WHAT'S -- YOU COULD
MAKE MORE CLEAR IS IN TERMS OF
THE METRICS FOR EVALUATION IN
EACH AND EVERY STEP SO THAT IT
CAN CLEARLY BE SEEN THAT THIS IS
THE ROAD MAP, THIS IS WHERE WE
ARE IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION,
THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT CAN
BE MADE BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF
2025, BUT OTHERWISE IT WAS VERY
CLEAR AND VERY PRECISE AND KIND
OF GIVE REALLY OVERVIEW OF WHERE
WE ARE HEADING TO.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT DATA AND
METRICS, RIGHT, AND HOW WE'RE
TRACKING PROGRESS THROUGH THE
STRATEGIC PLAN.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT
QUESTION THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE
TAKEN A LOOK AT A LITTLE BIT
MORE IN DEPTH.
SO AS WE'RE CONTINUING THE WORK,
AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER ONE OF THE
SLIDES IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS,
THE VERY FIRST THEME WAS ABOUT
DATA ORIENTED EFFORTS.
SO THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE'LL
BE ABLE TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE,
WE'RE GOING TO BE BREAKING DOWN
THOSE OBJECTIVES, SUBOBJECTIVES
INTO ITEMS THAT CAN BE
ACTIONABLE AND MEASURABLE.
ALSO A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OUR
TEAM WITHIN EDI.
WE HAVE SEVERAL TOOLS THROUGHOUT
EDI THAT IS HELPING TO TRACK
THIS DATA.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL SESSIONS
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF TODAY
THAT GETS INTO THAT DATA A
LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT DATA AND METRICS, PLEASE
MAKE SURE YOU COME OUT TO ONE OF
THE SESSIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE A DATA TABLE OUT
THERE WITH REALLY COOL MONITORS
WHERE YOU CAN PLAY AROUND AND
INTERACT, SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE T TO DO THT
AS WELL.
>> GOOD MORNING, DR. LU.
EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
QUICK QUESTION.
IF YOU COULD TAKE US OFLINE A O-
OFFLINE A BIT AND TAKE US INTO
YOUR WORK SESSIONS, WHAT KEEPS
SDI UP AT NIGHT WITH REGARD TO
THE IMPLEMENTATION WORK?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THANK YOU.
SO I THINK WHAT REALLY KEEPS US
IN THE GAME IS, WE HAVE JUST A
FULLY DEDICATED TEAM.
WHAT EXCITES ME ABOUT OUR WORK
IS THAT THIS PLAN HAS REALLY
BEEN HARD WORK, WHICH IS GREAT
ACROSS THE AGENCY.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'S
BEEN A LOT OF FOLKS, YOU KNOW,
TEARS, HARD WORK, BLOOD, SWEAT,
YOU KNOW, ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD
STUFF, BUT HAS REALLY BEEN DONE
ON MORE OF A, YOU KNOW,
VOLUNTARY WORK AS NEEDED, YOU
KNOW, AS KIND OF ADDED ON TYPE
OF ASPECT.
AND SO FOR THE FIRST TIME, ONE
OF THE REALLY NEAT THINGS IS
THAT WE HAVE A FULLY DEDICATED
TEAM THAT'S FOCUSED ON THE PLAN.
AND I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF
KUDOS TO LEADERSHIP TO BE ABLE
TO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP AND
ALLOCATE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE THOSE THAT ARE FOCUSING
SPECIFICALLY ON THIS PLAN.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
IS REALLY UNIQUE.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, WORKING ACROSS
OTHER INSTITUTIONS, A LOT OF
TIMES YOU DON'T GET THAT AT
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, IT'S
OFTENTIMES AN ADD-ON TO OTHER
PEOPLE'S WORK AND VERY RARELY DO
YOU HAVE FOLKS OR TEAMS THAT ARE
SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THE
PLAN.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
REALLY KEEPS ME INVOLVED IN THE
WORK AND DEDICATED TO THE WORK,
AND I THINK IS REALLY UNIQUE
HERE TO THE NIH.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT KIND OF MOVES INTO MY
QUESTION, COULD YOU ADDRESS HOW
YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE THE PLAN
INTEGRATED OR MAYBE IT ALREADY
IS, INTO IC'S STRATEGIC PLANNING
PROCESSES?
THEIR OWN STRATEGIC PLANS FOR
THEIR INSTITUTE, HOW DO YOU SEE
THEM CONNECTED?
SO IT DOESN'T BECOME PARALLEL
EFFORTS.
>> THAT'S SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.
THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
IN THIS AREA, AND THAT'S PART OF
THE REASON WHY WHEN I STARTED
THE PRESENTATION, I TALKED ABOUT
HOW THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT WORK
BEING DONE ACROSS THE AGENCY,
SPECIFICALLY AT THE IC LEVEL, AS
MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, EACH IC
HAS A VERY TARGETED STRATEGIC
PLAN OR A PLAN THAT'S TACKLING
DEIA SPECIFIC TO THE ICs.
SO I REALLY SEE THEM WORKING
TOGETHER.
I THINK WHAT WILL TAKE US TO
THAT NEXT LEVEL IS TO ENSURE
THAT WE'RE TALKING TO EACH OTHER
AND COMMUNICATING, AND THAT
WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT EACH
OTHER'S WORK.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, A BIG
PART OF WHAT OUR TEAM IS DOING
IS REALLY AMPLIFYING THE WORK
THAT'S -- THE GREAT WORK THAT'S
ALREADY BEING DONE.
SO I THINK IT WILL REQUIRE FOR
US TO COMMUNICATE, FOR US TO SIT
DOWN, FOR US TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT
THE WORK IS AT THE GROUND LEVEL
THAT'S BEING DONE, AND FOR US TO
ALIGN AND INCLUDE THAT INTO THE
STRATEGIC PLAN.
THANK YOU.
>> I HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION,
BUT MAYBE I WILL EXPAND ON THAT.
IF YOU ADD THE EXTRAMURAL WORLD
OF NIH, DO YOU NAVIGATE THE
STRATEGIC PLANS FOR THE
INTRAMURAL PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT FROM THOSE FROM
EXTRAMURAL, THEN ON TOP OF THAT,
THEY MAY HAVE THEIR OWN
INSTITUTION STRATEGIC PLANS.
>> SO THAT'S A REALLY GREAT
QUESTION AND I THINK IT'S A
SIMILAR TYPE OF RESPONSE.
THE NIH IS HUGE, RIGHT?
I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT.
AT THE BEGINNING, WHEN WE HAD
GOTTEN THE WORD CLOUD, THE FIRST
WORD THAT POPPED UP WAS
"COMPLEX," AND" COMPLICATED."
SO I THINK THAT THE NIH-WIDE AND
AGENCY-WIDE PLAN IS REALLY BROAD
PURPOSEFULLY, SO THAT IT CAN
COVER AND WE CAN ALIGN THINGS
WITHIN OER AND WITHIN OIR TO
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PLAN.
SO I THINK IN THE FUTURE, AS WE
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE
IMPLEMENTATION, THOSE ARE
CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL NEED TO
CONTINUE TO HAVE TOGETHER.
SO BY MY WATCH, WE ARE ALREADY
OVER.
AND WE HAVE A SESSION COMING UP.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
JOINING OUR SESSION EARLY.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL, AND HAVE A
GOOD REST OF YOUR DAY.
THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]