NCI efforts aim to ensure diversity of thoughts, create cultures of ‘inclusive excellence’
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Diversity and equity in health care doesn’t just benefit underrepresented populations.
It benefits everyone.
That’s the message Tiffany A. Wallace, PhD, conveyed in her keynote address at this year’s National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Policy Summit.
Wallace, branch director of the Disparities Research Branch at NCI’s Center for Cancer Health Equity, outlined the importance of a diverse oncology workforce in supporting the advancement of research, gaining new insights through collaboration with individuals who represent diverse experiences, and generating and publishing more impactful and widely cited research.
“We know that diversity in thoughts and perspectives supports the advancement of research, and that increased collaborations that include representation of diverse experiences and expertise add to the insights we generate,” Wallace said during her presentation. “We also know that diverse cultural perspectives are essential for truly reaching the communities where we work.”
NIH-wide efforts
Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) are core values at NIH and NCI, Wallace said.
Wallace discussed the NIH UNITE initiative, which seeks to further efforts to address structural racism in the biomedical and behavioral research environments.
UNITE has four main focus areas: promoting research into minority health and health disparities across institutions, advocating for equity in the NIH-supported biomedical research environment, internally at NIH, and improving the accuracy and transparency of data on racial and ethnic equity.
Wallace discussed the Engagement and Access for Research-Active Institutions (EARA) initiative, introduced due to a recommendation from the UNITE program.
According to Wallace, “research-active institutions” are those that have a historical mission of serving underrepresented groups, confer degrees in the health sciences or STEM, and have received an average of no more than $25 million in NIH research project grants within the past 3 years.
EARA is designed to help research-active institutions navigate funding opportunities at NIH, access resources, and communicate with NIH institutes, centers and offices.
A three-part pilot project is underway.
“Excitingly, 18 of our institutions at NIH have signed up to participate in this,” Wallace said. “The hope is that this initiative will address the barriers in awareness and access that these institutions face and help increase their research capacity and infrastructure.”
Advancing the National Cancer Plan
Wallace discussed the NCI’s ongoing efforts to advance the National Cancer Plan (NCP), which supports the goals of the Cancer Moonshot.
As part of its NCP efforts, the NCI has articulated eight goals, which are divided into “health-centric” goals and “empowering” goals, Wallace said.
The health-centric goals include cancer prevention, early detection, development of effective treatments and delivery of optimal care. The empowering goals focus on eradicating disparities in cancer risk factors, incidence, treatment side effects and mortality through equitable access to care throughout the cancer trajectory.
“The health-centric goals follow the breadth and arc of a patient’s experience and touch on every aspect of cancer,” Wallace said. “The empowering goals apply to all of the health-centric goals, and are absolutely essential for seeing success.”
NCI also established a goal to reach every individual with cancer or at risk for cancer and provide opportunities to participate in research. Lastly, under the NCP, the NCI seeks to optimize the cancer care and research workforce through more concordant representation of the communities served.
Other NCI-specific projects
Wallace discussed NCI-specific initiatives devoted to DEIA.
The Equity and Inclusion Program seeks to increase the diversity of the cancer research workforce and advance health equity through five dedicated working groups.
The NCI Health Equity Toolkit is designed to create a framework for conversation about race, social inequities and related topics.
“This has been well received — we’ve had more than 60 sessions so far, with more than 500 participants,” Wallace said. “This isn’t just targeting the leadership or program staff, but everyone who works at NCI — all levels of expertise and focus.”
NCI’s Center for Health Equity, formerly the Center to Reduce Health Disparities, continues its mission of eliminating cancer disparities and advancing research in this area.
Creating a diverse workforce
The NCI is also active in programs designed to nurture future clinicians and researchers through diversity-focused training programs.
One such program, Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences, or CURE, provides training and workforce development opportunities for scholars across the educational continuum to promote the diversity of the cancer and cancer health disparities research workforce.
The program provides an “ecosystem of support” to these future professionals starting as early as middle school, Wallace said.
The Cancer Moonshot Scholars program is aligned with the goals of the Cancer Moonshot, and is intended to motivate and support diversity in the next generation of cancer researchers.
“We also have an Early Investigator Advancement Program, which is a 1-year mentoring grantsmanship program that prepares investigators to write and submit an R01,” Wallace said.
The Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation, or FIRST, is a project supported by the NIH common fund and aimed at enhancing and maintaining “cultures of inclusive excellence” in the biomedical research community. Through this program, the NCI will manage U54 grants for faculty cohort programs to promote culture change toward inclusivity.
“To lean in on what we mean by inclusive excellence, this refers to cultures that establish and sustain scientific environments that cultivate and benefit from the full range of talent,” Wallace said. “We’re not only focused on the recruitment of diverse and talented faculty, but also the support they need to be successful at their institutions.”
Reference:
- Wallace TA. Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the cancer workforce. Presented at: NCCN Oncology Policy Summit. Sept. 10, 2024; Washington, DC.
Collapse
Wallace TA. Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the cancer workforce. Presented at: NCCN Oncology Policy Summit: Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the cancer workforce. Sept. 10, 2024; Washington, D.C.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts