Desirée L. Salazar, PhD, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator for Extramural Programs at NHLBI Angela Holmes, PhD, Diversity and Disparities Program Officer at NIDA Naftali Kaminski, MD, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Professor of Medicine and Section Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep MedicineSreeganga Chandra, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience Nigel Wade, Postgraduate Associate in Neurology
Diversity Supplements
The mission of the DEI Office is to build and sustain a diverse community empowered to transform health care and biomedical science. We encourage faculty and trainee to apply for funding mechanisms which align with our mission such as the NIH Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research. This funding mechanism is designed to support faculty with existing NIH grants who have an eligible candidate who identifies as part of an underrepresented group. Diversity supplements provide additional funding to recruit, provide professional development and retain these eligible candidates who have an interest in research.
Benefits of Diversity Supplements
- Provides an additional opportunity for faculty members to show their commitment to diversity equity and inclusion
- Provides additional funding to support an existing grant
- Short application, short review timeline and high funding rate
- Provides opportunity for trainees to gain research experience
- Trainees receive experience contributing to a NIH grant
- Funding to cover salary and benefits, travel and tuition.
- Some NIH institutes run professional development workshops for awardees
Key points
- Diversity Supplements can support all levels of trainees, from high school through the investigator level but not all NIH institutions will fund all levels.
- The Parent grant must have at least two years of funding remaining and diversity supplements will follow the budget cycle of the parent grant and cannot extend beyond the parent grants end date
- Diversity Supplements include research training and career development emphases, and often resulting in high funding levels.
- Applications are administratively reviewed by the NIH institute instead of going through peer review.
- The research proposed by the diversity supplement must be within the scope of the parent grant.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a diversity supplement?
The NIH has issued a funding opportunity announcement, Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research FOA PA-21-071, to provide additional funds for PIs with eligible grants to support a candidate from an underrepresented groups to participate in research experiences.
- What type of support does a diversity supplement provide?
- Diversity supplements provide funding or salary support for high school, undergraduate and graduate/clinical students, postdoctorates (including health professionals), and eligible investigators. Funding is also available for supplies and travel.
- Which NIH awards are eligible for a diversity supplement?
Diversity supplements can be submitted for many NIH funding mechanisms, please review the FOA PA-21-071 to confirm eligibility and speak with your NIH program officer. NIH awards need to have 2 years of support remaining.
- Who should I speak with before applying for a diversity supplement?
Diversity supplements can be submitted for many NIH funding mechanisms, please review the FOA PA-21-071 to confirm eligibility and speak with your NIH program officer. NIH awards need to have 2 years of support remaining.
- Who is eligible to be a candidate for a diversity supplement?
Candidates must be part of a underrepresented groups to participate as a candidate for a diversity supplement.
Candidates must be US Citizens, non-citizen nationals of the US, and individuals who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551)
Candidates can be in high school, undergraduate and graduate/clinical students, postdoctorates (including health professionals), and eligible investigators. Some NIH institutes will not take applications with candidates from all of these categories.
- How does a candidate confirm eligibility?
- In the application a letter must be included describing the candidates eligibility status, you do not need to include any documentation proving your eligibility.
- Are templates or examples available for diversity supplements?
The Office of Physician-Scientist and Scientist Development maintains a grant library which includes examples of diversity supplements. Please contact OPSSD to request access to the grant library.
- Can the PI support the candidate with grant funding while a diversity supplement application is pending?
- Candidates supported on a T32 can only start a diversity supplement after their T32 appointment end date. Candidates supported on PIs parent grant cannot be transferred to a diversity supplement awarded to the parent grant, in some cases this maybe allowed, please speak with your program officer or NIH institute specific diversity supplement contact.
- As an eligible candidate how can I find a faculty member with an eligible grant?
You can use NIH Reporter to find faculty with grants that maybe eligible for a diversity supplement.
- I am applying for a diversity supplement does it need to go through OSP?
- Yes, diversity supplements need to be submitted through OSP.