The Impact of Inclusive Excellence on Biomedical Research and Health Teams Outcomes

Council Date: February 2, 2024

Objective

This initiative will support research that is focused on:

1. Understanding the impact of diversity (i.e., race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status [SES], sexual and gender minorities, and disability) on the outcomes of biomedical research teams (i.e., publications, grants, innovation) and health care teams (i.e., patient outcomes, reduction of health disparities).
2. Identifying mechanisms through which diverse teams impact performance as well as specific factors associated with the effect (i.e. specifics of team composition, team processes involved in creative performance).
3. Promoting research that develops methodologies for measuring diversity and its impact on research teams while reducing health disparities.

Download the full concept paper

Description of Initiative

This proposed initiative will support research that will:

1. Evaluate how to define diversity for biomedical research and health care teams.
2. Define measures and develop methodologies that assess the outcomes for biomedical research teams and health care teams.
3. Determine the impact of diverse identities and the intersectionality of those identities on biomedical research and health care team composition and team performance.
4. Identify mechanisms by which diverse teams impact team performance.

For this initiative, a broad definition of diversity, as included in the NIH Strategic Plan NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, is the practice of including the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and beliefs of the American people, including underserved communities. Projects that focus on populations, as described in Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity: NOT-OD-20-031, are encouraged.

Priority research topics of interest include, but are not limited to studies that:

• Develop diversity measures for biomedical research and health care teams.
• Investigate the elements of diversity that impact team composition and outcomes.
• Explore the impact of the intersectionality of the diversity factors on the function of teams and team productivity and outcomes.
• Investigate the impact of diverse individuals in various scientific roles.
• Investigate the impact of diversity on in-person vs. virtual teamwork.
• Evaluate the impact of diversity on groundbreaking scientific innovations/advances.
• Investigate the impact of diversity on research design, settings, and collaborators.
• Investigate the diversity of biomedical research and health care teams in various geographical areas with associated outcomes.
• Assess how team diversity impacts the quality of care and health outcomes for health care teams.

Page published May 9, 2024