June 12, 2024

Advancing Equity, Fostering Change: UNITE’s 2023-2024 Progress Report

UNITE Co-Chairs’ Corner

Today, we announce the release of the UNITE Progress Report for Fiscal Years 2023–2024, a detailed account of UNITE’s recent activities and achievements. As you explore the report, we hope you are inspired by UNITE’s potential to further advance equity and inclusion within the NIH biomedical and behavioral research ecosystem.

Since its public launch in 2021, UNITE’s mission has been clear: to identify and address any structural racism that may exist within NIH and throughout the biomedical and behavioral workforce. As such, this progress report highlights UNITE’s actions across its four focus areas. Though we often liken this journey to a marathon, these endeavors have often felt like a sprint, producing the tangible outcomes described in the report.

UNITE’s dedicated volunteers, consisting of more than 80 individuals from all 27 NIH Institutes and Centers, are at the core of its progress and success. UNITE’s accomplishments are a testament to their commitment, enthusiasm, innovative thinking, and the collaborative spirit that defines UNITE.

Among the many noteworthy actions UNITE facilitated between fiscal years 2023 and 2024 are:

The UNITE-inspired Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (COMPASS) initiative, a new Common Fund effort, is accelerating progress in addressing health disparities with an emphasis on community-led health equity interventions.
The new automated Research Condition and Disease Category Minority Health and Health Disparities categories allow for greater accuracy and transparency in research.
UNITE’s ongoing efforts to foster an equitable environment within NIH, including the Emerging Talent Program.
The five new and enhanced UNITE-inspired funding opportunities—with more to come.

These and the other actions described in the report are not just milestones; they represent the power of collective action and provide a solid foundation for UNITE’s continued success. Moving forward, UNITE will continue to identify new opportunities to foster equity and promote change throughout NIH and its supported institutions.

We, Mohammed Aiyegbo, Ph.D., and Camille Hoover, M.S.W., were honored to begin our tenure as UNITE co-chairs in late April. Marie A Bernard, MD, continues as a co-chair to maintain continuity. We are eager to carry on the work of our predecessors and lead UNITE into a new chapter.

Our sincere thanks to the previous UNITE co-chairs, Drs. Byrnes, Johnson, and Tabak, for contributing their ideas, energy, and expertise to UNITE through April 2024. All three remain involved in UNITE.

We also extend our gratitude to everyone who has supported and advanced UNITE’s mission and vision. Your contributions are crucial to UNITE’s ongoing efforts to create an equitable and inclusive scientific enterprise.

We are excited about the future and continuing this collaborative journey with you. Together, we will build on UNITE’s initial achievements to drive lasting change.

Please tune in to the June 13–14 NIH Advisory Committee to the Director meeting, where we will provide a comprehensive update on UNITE’s recent progress.