Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) recently announced that sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) have been formally designated as a health disparity population for NIH research. As defined in the message from Dr. Pérez-Stable, "the term SGM encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations, as well as those whose sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, or reproductive development varies from traditional, societal, cultural, or physiological norms."
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On the nih.gov website:
"The Women of Color (WOC) Committee of the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers recognizes that women of color may face unique challenges to entering and advancing in biomedical careers...The WoCRn was created to provide women of color and supporters of their advancement in the biomedical sciences information about the NIH grants process, advice on career development, and a venue or forum for networking and sharing information." The February 2016 issue of ASBMB Today, the monthly newsletter of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has a special section devoted to: Diversity & Inclusion Matters
Topics discussed include:
In her recent "Conversations in Equity" blog posting entitled "Water Wellness", Leandris C. Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA, Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Equity, CDC/ATSDR and the Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE), addresses the issue of obesity, specifically some cultural perspectives on obesity. She is "intrigued by the social and cultural meanings ascribed to body size and shape. These meanings vary by race and ethnicity, social class, religion, country of birth, whether you live in the North, South or on the West coast of the U.S., and a host of other factors." Dr. Libur also adds her own observations on the variety of exercise habits seen at her local gym; the types of exercise performed seems to vary by gender, age, and body form.
She notes that the prevalence of obesity has increased among men between 1999-2002 and 2007-2010 (CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (2013)). She cites statistics illustrating the disparity in healthy weights among different racial groups "for obesity grade 3, 12.1% of non-Hispanic blacks aged 20 years and older were in this category compared to 5.6% of non-Hispanic whites, 0.9% of non-Hispanic Asians, and 5.8% of Hispanic persons in this age range." In concluding her post, she raises several questions concerning healthy weights for male individuals:
These comments serve to highlight the need for considering population diversity (culture, race and ethnicity, social class, etc.) in developing programs to address obesity. The purpose of the Clinician Scientist Mentoring Award to Promote Workforce Diversity is to provide support to mid-career health-professional doctorates or equivalent (See Section III) for protected time to devote effort to basic, epidemiological or outcomes research and to act as research mentors to early-stage investigators from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research. Candidates for this award should have independent, peer-reviewed, research support at the time of award and possess a demonstrated record of mentoring individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. The candidate's research should demonstrate a sustained level of research productivity in the research areas supported by the NIDDK. The long-term objective of this funding opportunity is to provide mentors with protected time to enhance mentoring opportunities for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, thereby ensuring the availibility of a pool of scientists from diverse backgrounds to facilitate research within the mission areas of the NIDDK.
The NIH has funds available for administrative supplements to support diversity and re-entry into the research workforce. Supplements are available for program directors or principal investigators holding specific types of NIH research grants to improve the diversity of the research workforce by supporting and recruiting students, post doctorates, and eligible investigators from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related research.
In conjunction with other organizations, Science Careers [a service of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS)] has created a booklet addressing career opportunities in many different fields.
This resource covers the various kinds of organizations that hire scientists and what types of positions are available. The booklet also provides advice for improving your resume and includes basic recommendations and guidance on seeking that next important position of one's career. You can download a PDF version today OR read it online. The Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office has just released a booklet entitled: "From College to Careers: Fostering Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in STEM" which is edited by Bradley Duerstock and Clark Shingledecker.
This 74-page publication was influenced by feedback at a workshop led by the authors at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana from May 20–23, 2013. The four chapters are:
Diversity in Life Science Programs (DLSP) at Keystone Symposia is supporting assistant professors and scientists from industry at an equivalent level who wish to attend Keystone Symposia meetings. The particular meetings available to attend are listed below. These are the only meetings available for this particular funding. The award is a reimbursement award, and will cover registration fees, lodging, airfare and ground transit.
The eligibility criteria are as follows:
Adult Neurogenesis (E1) Scientific Organizers: Jonas Frisén and Fred H. Gage May 12—17, 2014 Clarion Hotel Sign, Stockholm, Sweden Keystone Symposia E1 Autophagy: Fundamentals to Disease (E2) Scientific Organizers: Christina H. Eng, Daniel J. Klionsky, Guido Kroemer and Li Yu May 23—28, 2014 Hyatt Regency Austin, Austin, Texas, USA Keystone Symposia E2 The Brain: Adaptation and Maladaptation in Chronic Pain (E3) Scientific Organizers: Frank Porreca, David Borsook and David W. Dodick June 15—20, 2014 Keystone Resort, Keystone, Colorado, USA Keystone Symposia E3 The Modes of Action of Vaccine Adjuvants (S1) Scientific Organizers: Philippa C. Marrack, Steven Reed and Robert A. Seder October 8—13, 2014 Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Seattle, Washington, USA Keystone Symposia S1 Cell Death Signaling in Cancer and the Immune System (S2) Scientific Organizers: Gustavo Amarante-Mendes, Douglas R. Green and Kim Newton October 28—November 2, 2014 Casa Grande Hotel, Guaruja, São Paulo, Brazil Keystone Symposia S2 If you have any questions about the Keystone Symposia, please contact Bridget Stacy at bstacy@keystonesymposia.org. Mark Your Calendars!
American Society of Andrology 39th Annual Conference April 4 - 8, 2014 InterContinental BuckHead Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia Check the ASA Meeting site for more information. Call for Abstracts are now being accepted for the 2014 Annual Conference. Deadline to submit: October 25, 2013, 12:00 Noon Central Time zone. |
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