Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Civility
NIEHS is committed to a diverse workplace environment where the talents of all individuals are valued and their viewpoints acknowledged, empowering them to successfully contribute to the critical work of NIEHS. The NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, Fiscal Years 2023-2027 states that “principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are intrinsic to the achievement of better health for all.” NIEHS embraces these values and prioritizes them in the full range of the institute’s goals and activities. A tradition of working toward achieving environmental justice has positioned NIEHS as a leader among NIH institutes in efforts to understand and reduce health disparities. DEIA values are integral to the success of this work, and thus are already strongly rooted in the NIEHS mission and workplace ethos. In fact, NIEHS has expanded on the four core values of DEIA to add a fifth value of “Civility” (DEIAC), to emphasize our commitment to the respectful treatment of all.
Solutions-Focused Research and Translation
NIEHS’s mission incorporates not just research and the generation of scientific knowledge, but the translation and dissemination of such knowledge for health promotion, disease prevention, and evidence-based intervention. The value of NIEHS research investments is determined from its use by the public, health providers, regulators, and policymakers to inform their decisions and actions to protect health and improve people’s lives.
The biomedical research enterprise often describes a translational research pipeline where basic research is built upon to advance toward preclinical and clinical stages. NIEHS has expanded this approach to adopt a multidimensional framework that describes how environmental health sciences translates to clinical practice, public health policy, and environmental regulation for the improvement of people’s lives. NIEHS is expanding its commitment to community- engaged research, particularly in communities most affected by adverse environmental conditions. A focus of these efforts is the report back to study participants of results of environmental health research. Because of barriers to implementing this type of communication — including lack of established approaches, institutional approval, funding, and expertise — report back of personal results is not widely done across studies even though it is increasingly recognized as a beneficial and ethical practice. NIEHS will continue to pursue research on best practices for report back of results in environmental health studies.
The ultimate use of NIEHS-funded research is the promotion of health and the prevention and treatment of disease. The research funded in this strategic plan’s Research Areas of Emphasis will yield findings that will be translated into solutions for improving individual and public health. NIEHS will continue to fund research for translational purposes, including efforts to develop, test, and validate evidence-based prevention, implementation science, and intervention strategies to prevent disease and promote health.
