The NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their student populations and thus to increase the participation of individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; individuals with disabilities; and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity on a national or institutional basis.
The NIGMS review committees, the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council (NAGMSC), and NIGMS staff all have crucial roles to play in the implementation process of this requirement. The review committees will continue to examine the racial and ethnic minority recruitment plans, efforts, and outcomes for each application and will now also consider plans for the recruitment and retention of additional groups underrepresented in the sciences (see Instructions to Reviewers). Their findings and evaluative recommendations will be summarized and explained in a note in the summary statement prepared by the scientific review administrator. The NAGMSC will continue to examine diversity recruitment as part of its review of research training grant applications and overview of NIH policy. In some cases, the NAGMSC may wish to single out applications for individual attention and/or formal action. Following each NAGMSC meeting, the NIGMS staff Committee on Minority Recruitment (CMR) will examine each applicant's compliance with this requirement--considering the reviewers' recommendations, NAGMSC advice and actions, and review and program staff advice--and then recommend final action to the NIGMS Director. In addition, the NAGMSC Working Group on Training and Faculty Development is expected to meet once a year to review the Institute's implementation of this requirement.
As outlined in the current NRSA Institutional Training Grant (T32) program announcement and the current PHS 398 instructions, applications for National Research Service Award (NRSA) training support are required to explain plans and efforts by each program to recruit a diverse student pool. As this new expanded policy is phased in, focus will continue on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented ethnic and racial groups, but now also address the two additional groups (students with disabilities and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds). New applications must include a description of plans to enhance recruitment of a diverse trainee pool and applicants may wish to include data in support of past accomplishments. Renewal applications must include a detailed account of experiences in recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups during the previous funding period, as well as plans for the proposed funding period. Information should be included on both successful and unsuccessful recruitment strategies.
General efforts by an applicant to increase the pool of underrepresented students preparing for science fields are obviously laudable and can be considered as part of the overall training program effort. The focus of the requirement is on the plans and successes of the training grant program in the recruitment and graduation of predoctoral/postdoctoral individuals from underrepresented groups. Program size, location, and level (predoctoral or postdoctoral), as well as other factors, are taken into consideration by the reviewers, NAGMSC, and NIGMS staff in making decisions about each applicant's plans and achievements. However, all applicants are expected to demonstrate commitment and proactive recruitment efforts.
For competing renewals, the reviewers are asked to conduct a careful examination of the success of the research training program in carrying out the plans proposed in the previous competing application. For this purpose, data on students who have been formally appointed to the training grant will be considered first and foremost. However, if the institution chooses to provide data on students clearly associated with the program but supported from other sources, that information will also be considered. For consideration of the overall student pool, data on all students associated with the program will be analyzed. Students will be considered to be associated with the program if their training experiences and opportunities are the same as those of students supported by the training grant. Applicants must provide evidence that this is the case. In the absence of strong justification, it will be considered unreasonable, particularly for large programs, to find that all the underrepresented students have been supported by other mechanisms and essentially only non-underrepresented students have actually been appointed to the training grant.
If previous efforts have not resulted in successful recruitment, added scrutiny will be given to such aspects as faculty involvement, outreach, the number of offers made, and other factors affecting recruitment. Of critical importance in such cases are the changes proposed by the program for its diversity recruitment plans for the next grant award period. For new applications, examination of this requirement should focus on the success of participating graduate departments and/or research training programs in the recruitment and graduation of underrepresented individuals, as well as the program's plans for meeting this requirement in the initial funding period proposed by the applicant.
The NIH guidelines specify two descriptors (Acceptable and Unacceptable) for classifying an applicant's compliance with the diversity recruitment requirement. The reviewers will be asked to continue to use these two official descriptors, and for Acceptable ratings, can also discuss the relative merit of the recruitment plans and efforts using the following descriptors: Commendable, Satisfactory, and Marginally Acceptable. These additional descriptors will facilitate the Institute's consideration of specific action in the implementation of this requirement. Thus, diversity recruitment plans/efforts will be placed in one of four categories, and for each of these, a variety of administrative actions can be considered:
- Commendable -- Research training programs in this category are especially successful and/or innovative in their plans, efforts, and achievements. As an incentive for commendable programs, if funds are available, one or more trainee slots may be added to an award, up to the full Council-recommended level of support.
- Satisfactory -- Programs with good plans, efforts, and reasonable successes are considered as fully meeting this requirement.
- Marginally Acceptable -- Programs receiving this designation have met the requirement, but may still have weaknesses. Examples might include recruitment and retention plans with specific faults or omissions, or those that have resulted in limited past success in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students and/or concerns about the plans for improvement. Although research training grant applications in this category are eligible for funding, they all will receive letters from Institute staff informing them that their diversity recruitment effort needs improvement. In addition, funded grants in this category will receive special scrutiny by program staff at the time of the noncompeting renewal to ascertain that appropriate steps are being taken to improve performance in this area. Ratings of marginally acceptable on two consecutive competing renewals will be treated as an "Unacceptable" rated application (see below).
- Unacceptable -- Applications with this designation do not meet the expectations of NIH and the Institute in fulfilling this requirement. Such applications have poor plans and efforts, a lack of commitment, and/or poor prospects for future successes. Funding of applications in this category will be withheld until an improved diversity recruitment plan is approved for new competing applications, and, for competing renewal applications, until an improved diversity recruitment plan adequately addresses the deficiencies of the plan and efforts from the previous period and offers strong prospects for success in the next funding period. If an improved diversity plan is approved and the application is funded, in most cases it will be funded for 3 years; at the end of 3 years the program will be evaluated by staff and the additional 2 years may be awarded if there is demonstrated improvement.
