This Notice encourages eligible awardees in the BRAIN Initiative community to apply for administrative supplements in response to PA-23-189, Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Admin Supp - Clinical Trial Not Allowed). The NIH has a strong interest in the diversity of the NIH-funded workforce (see NOT-OD-20-031) and encourages institutions to prioritize inclusion by supporting the participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from groups identified as underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences.
The NIH BRAIN Initiative recognizes that teams comprised of individuals with a diversity of experiences and perspectives that work together often outperform homogeneous teams. There are many benefits that flow from a diverse scientific workforce, including fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the research, advancing the likelihood that underserved populations participate in, and benefit from research, and enhancing public trust (see NOT-OD-20-031). The BRAIN Initiative is firmly committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the research community. BRAIN investigators should strive to compose teams richly diverse in perspectives, backgrounds, and academic disciplines, and provide full opportunity for potential participation to individuals and groups underrepresented in neuroscience (see BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision, BRAIN 2.0: From Cells to Circuits, Toward Cures, and BRAIN 2.0 Neuroethics: Enabling and Enhancing Neuroscience Advances for Society). Relatedly, the recruitment of diverse research participants and the inclusion of community perspectives ensures that research questions are informed by patient and family perspectives and that the benefits of research have wide applicability. The Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research offers an opportunity for BRAIN awardees to request additional funds to train and mentor future researchers, including those from underrepresented groups, who will contribute to advancing the goals of the BRAIN Initiative.
The program also aligns and bridges to the Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP) for BRAIN Initiative research programs. Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) of active BRAIN Initiative research program grants are encouraged to identify eligible individuals across the career development pipeline (from high school students to the faculty level) under the auspices of this administrative supplement. The research activities proposed in the supplement application must fall within the scope of the parent grant. Proposed career development activities should be appropriate for the career stage of the supplement candidate and should demonstrate both a strong commitment by the mentor and a clear path forward for the candidate. All applications must include a signed statement from an institutional official establishing eligibility of the candidate for the program, including information about citizenship of the candidate, and a description of how the appointment of the candidate would further the goals of the program, consistent with NOT-OD-20-031, "Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity". BRAIN Initiative PDs/PIs are strongly encouraged to incorporate research activities that will help prepare the supplement candidate to conduct research relevant to the goals of the BRAIN Initiative (see BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision, BRAIN 2.0: From Cells to Circuits, Toward Cures, and BRAIN 2.0 Neuroethics: Enabling and Enhancing Neuroscience Advances for Society). advance the proposed specific aims and are integral to equity and inclusion in the science being performed.
NOT-AA-23-020
