The National Institutes of Health takes a multi-faceted strategy to diversity and inclusion

The United States federal government is the nation’s largest employer with nearly three million employees around the country and throughout the world. Many American citizens believe the federal government should set a standard for the rest of the country; regarding diversity, the government must live up to those lofty expectations, as the federal workforce should reflect the diversity of our nation. One of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) largest agencies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is also one of its most progressive when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

The NIH, one of eight agencies under the Public Health Service within the DHHS, has 27 institutes, each with a specific research agenda focusing on diseases or body systems. The agency is responsible for biomedical and health-related research and is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world. The NIH creates hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs by funding thousands of scientists in universities and research institutions in every state across America and around the globe. Its headquarters has been located in Bethesda, Maryland since 1938, where over the past seven decades it has grown from “seventy acres of science” to a 317-acre main campus of 99 buildings and nearly 20,000 employees.

Over the past 15 years, the NIH’s practice of diversity and inclusion has progressed to its current status as a central focus at the agency. The focal point for NIH-wide policy formulation and implementation of workforce diversity is the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management (OEODM).  Lawrence N. Self, Director of OEODM, came to the NIH in 2001 with 19 years of civilian federal service. That service includes positions as an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer at the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California and the 1st Infantry Division before becoming EEO Director for the Defense Logistics Agency in Los Angeles in 1994. Self’s vast experience and forward-thinking approach has helped shape OEODM’s ideology and mission. 

“Our mission is to protect the integrity of the Equal Employment Opportunity process and to keep diversity a priority at the National Institutes of Health,” Self said. “We define diversity as embracing similarities and differences that contribute to inclusion and accomplishing the mission of the NIH. The primary goal regarding diversity at the NIH that we’re working toward includes finding ways to embrace inclusiveness which increases our competitiveness which is truly an effective people management strategy. We want everybody who comes here to know they are included in this mission and are valued. We’re in the people business, so it’s essential that we have a diverse workforce and it’s important that we’re serious about it.  We have to be seen across the board as an inclusive environment and then maintain that environment.”  

Among the primary tasks of the OEODM is the development of EEO and diversity management policies and programs for the NIH, and to assist in assuring that all NIH policies, programs, functions, and activities are in compliance with federal EEO statutes, laws, and regulations.

Self leads in helping diversity and inclusion become a central focus, and the results of the OEODM’s efforts are tangible. When we look at one aspect of the diversity continuum, which in this case is that of Race and National Origin (RNO) and Disability data, the NIH workforce, as of the fall of 2010, was comprised of 19,809 employees, 11,465 of which were female (57.9%) and 8,344 of which were male (42.1%). The breakdown in terms of race and national origin was 60.9% Caucasian, 20.1% African-American, 2.8% Hispanic, 15.6% Asian/Pacific Islander and 0.5% American Indian/Alaska Native. There were 215 employees identifying themselves as having targeted disabilities* and 1,248 with non-targeted disabilities.

The OEODM has constructed many diversity and inclusion programs at the NIH; their primary focus is to increase awareness of how attitudes toward differences impact talent management, retention, employee engagement, innovation, teamwork and productivity.  To that end, the OEODM has leveraged several initiatives to include sessions via video-conferencing to some of their offsite locations in order to effectively demonstrate efforts for inclusion and enhanced communication. They have also sponsored and hosted the NIH Diversity Seminar Series in which employees participate. 

Committed Leadership

While the OEODM is central to all the diversity and inclusion efforts at the NIH, nothing it does would be possible without committed leadership at the top. President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Francis S. Collins as Director of the NIH in July 2009.  Dr. Collins wasted no time in putting his stamp on the entire agency and has voiced his commitment to diversity.  Self maintains that, “leadership drives the train.  NIH really is an inclusive place to work.  People believe in what Dr. Collins is saying, and all of those things are important.”

In August 2010, Dr. Collins appointed Dr. Lawrence Tabak as Principal Deputy Director of the NIH. Dr. Tabak originally came to the NIH in September 2000, when he was appointed Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Before coming to the NIH, Dr. Tabak worked at the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester, where he had been the Senior Associate Dean for research, Director of the Center for Oral Biology, professor of dentistry, and professor of biochemistry and biophysics.

“Diversity is a core tenet at the NIH, and in order to get the message out we have to use a variety of approaches,” Dr. Tabak said. “We think it’s very important that we have a central focus to our diversity efforts, and the OEODM takes that central role.”   Dr. Tabak drew attention to the agency’s 27 institutes and centers saying, “We all have to make this our responsibility.  In terms of recruiting efforts and training efforts, we make this part of our everyday practice so that while we have the central focus, we also integrate it into everything we do on a daily basis.”

While many organizations talk a good game when it comes to diversity and inclusion, their actions don’t always support their ambitious ideals and, consequently, real change seldom takes place. The NIH recognizes that actions speak the loudest.

“We are consistently reminding people within the workforce, both on the training side in our intramural laboratories as well as our administrative side, that the only way we’re going to succeed is if we have a diverse workforce,” Dr. Tabak said. “We send out a periodic message, but it’s your action that counts.  It’s what you do that really sends the message.  What you participate in is what sends the message. So if there’s a program related to diversity, when the leadership shows up, that is what sends a much more powerful message than an email exhorting everybody to attend. We hope that our actions speak and communicate in a most important and fundamental way.” 

The actions that Dr. Tabak describes range far and wide at the NIH; the agency aggressively cultivates diversity and inclusion.  It has invested significant resources to enhance capacity building that will result in a diverse scientific workforce overall.  In October 2010, the NIH awarded six grants totaling $12 million over a three-year period as part of a new initiative called the NIH Director’s ARRA Funded Pathfinder Award to Promote Diversity in the Scientific Workforce. The Pathfinder Award, which is administered by the NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences and funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), supports exceptionally creative scientists who propose highly innovative, and possibly transforming, approaches to scientific workforce diversity.

Internal Partners

NIH Diversity Council

Given that the NIH’s commitment to diversity and inclusion runs through all levels of the agency, it should come as no surprise to learn that there are several support organizations to help it achieve its goals. The NIH Diversity Council (NIHDC) is one such organization.  It serves as an advisory committee that reports directly to Self.  NIHDC reports on the policies, programs and areas of diversity at the agency that need to be addressed.  The NIHDC’s vision is to create a workplace where each individual is valued and rewarded for the skills, experience, education and talent he or she brings to the workplace and whose background is utilized to the overall benefit of the agency. 

The NIHDC currently consists of 33 members from all of the NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs). The council was originally formed in 1995 and restructured in 2009 to include senior-level IC employees in an effort to have the information it was unearthing result in conspicuous action.  To ensure this, the current membership committee reflects a broad spectrum of diversity (female, male, American Indian/Alaskan native, Asian/Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and persons with disabilities). 

Dexter Collins, NIHDC Chairman, explained that the council routinely meets every third Wednesday of each month.  Among the NIHDC’s major accomplishments is a three-year-old program called “A Time for Diversity,” which is now an annual event that features an array of NIH leaders and high-profile guests sharing their impressions of diversity in the workplace.  It features an “Art of Diversity” display, different ethnic food vendors, and speeches from distinguished members of the scientific community. This year, INSIGHT Into Diversity received an invitation to attend and participate in “A Time for Diversity Day.”

“‘A Time for Diversity’ really brought a lot of people out. Information was shared as far as what NIHDC does, and we received a lot of calls from people wanting to participate and become a part of the organization and also inquiring about what other opportunities we offer working with the affinity groups to enhance diversity and inclusion at NIH,” Dexter Collins said. 

Diversity Task Force

Dr. Jeremy Berg, Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), was appointed to chair the ad hoc group of NIH’s Diversity Task Force.

The Diversity Task Force is charged with evaluating existing diversity programs across the intramural and extramural divisions of the NIH and to generate new ideas on diversity programming as it relates to both the scientific and administrative workforces. The task force consists of senior level officials appointed by Dr. Collins.  They aim to take a comprehensive look at diversity efforts across all aspects of the NIH. The goal is to retain employees who, naturally, are attracted to higher salaries in academia and corporate business.

There are no easy solutions to the problems and dilemmas of this complex and multi-layered issue, but Dr. Berg has a clear vision of the goals of the Diversity Task Force. He confirmed that the NIH looks at its intramural program as a place where effective practices can be developed.

The Next Generation

The next generation of scientists is of particular concern for Dr. Tabak. A diverse scientific workforce begins with students choosing to pursue a career in the sciences.  A young person exploring a career in any field is greatly aided by having a seasoned professional to help guide them through the trials and tribulations they will inevitably face along the way, but mentors aren’t just helpful in the field of science, they are essential. “If you track back most successful scientists, you’ll find that they’ve had, in many cases, multiple mentors who have helped them along the way,” Dr. Tabak said. “What I tell scientists is if you really want to give back, the best way is to mentor.”  Many of the ICs require senior scientists to integrate junior scientists in their research programs.

“That’s why getting the students involved in a hands-on type of program is so important,” Dr. Tabak said. “It’s not just the skills that they learn, but it’s also the opportunity to interact one on one with a working scientist and members of their group.  It’s the personal contact that means so very much.”  The next generations of those entering the biomedical research pipeline have to be well mentored, competitive, and reflective of the American population we serve.

Dr. Berg echoes Dr. Tabak’s sentiments about the importance of mentoring and points out that the act of students seeking mentors is a skill. “My sense is that there are a lot of people who are interested in helping out and giving advice, but many students are often shy and think that busy people won’t have time for them or won’t be interested in helping them,” Dr. Berg said. “If you just go and ask the question, it can have a huge impact.”

Dr. Berg further elaborated that, “A career in science can seem quite daunting to a high school or college student. A huge responsibility lies at the feet of today’s faculty to get the students who have shown an interest and aptitude in science to go forward with pursuing a scientific career, rather than becoming discouraged by the difficulty of the required coursework or turned away by the huge expense of working toward a Ph.D.”

It is imperative that the pool of candidates the NIH draws from be reflective of the American population. For example, the medical schools should reflect the diversity in America.  Currently, women and minorities among faculties of science and engineering departments at research universities across the nation are, in some cases, represented at levels far below what is expected. This has a major impact on the NIH and creates daunting challenges to its effort to increase diversity in the sciences.   

“Because the faculty is at this crucial part in the pipeline, they have to encourage their students to go forward,” Dr. Tabak said. “It comes down to mentorship and encouragement and giving students a chance. If you show some flexibility and willingness to work with people, you can be very proud of the results that emerge.”

As Dr. Berg said, faculty carries a large responsibility in academic circles, and his task force is trying to make a comparable impact at the NIH.  “It’s really important to get things down into the trenches,” Dr. Berg said. “I think faculty and university presidents and provosts are very concerned about diversity and are working at it, but the mentorship and the hiring decisions are at the faculty level. Unless you can really engage the faculty, it’s going to be difficult.

“Part of what the Diversity Task Force is working on is determining how effective we are being in getting down to the rank and file at the NIH and getting them to realize that inclusiveness and diversity are really important for the NIH to fulfill its mission. It’s something that people need to think about all the time.” 

The Impact

From the top down, the NIH recognizes that workforce diversity is essential.  The programs and committees that the agency has formed is an indicator of how serious it is about diversity and inclusion.  “Scientists with diverse interests and from diverse backgrounds and cultures can produce better results. Whether talking about research or patient interaction, diversity at the NIH is imperative,” Dr. Tabak said. “We need to have a diverse scientific workforce.  If we don’t [have it] we can’t generate the novel ideas that keeps the engine going.”  As long as the leaders at the NIH remain as steadfastly committed to diversity and inclusion as they currently are, the agency will have an enormous impact on the scientific community and workforce and will continue to set a positive example.   

Dr. Collins eloquently declared, “It is critical that the NIH, as the world’s premier biomedical research institution, continues to uphold its reputation for excellence by recruiting, training and retaining employees from all backgrounds who are committed to working together to reach our common goal of better health for everyone.”

That’s a philosophy on which everyone can agree.  

Michael Rainey is the editor of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.