HHS is investing strategies to support the research enterprise and the scientific workforce. HHS works to build public trust by upholding scientific integrity and quality. HHS is also working to recruit, retain, and develop a diverse and inclusive scientific workforce to conduct basic and applied research in disease, healthcare, public health, and human services. HHS supports innovation in how research is supported, conducted, and translated into interventions that improve health and well-being. Below is a selection of strategies HHS is implementing.
In the context of HHS, this Strategic Plan adopts the definition of underserved populations listed in Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government to refer to “populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, who have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life”; this definition includes individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. Individuals may belong to more than one underserved community and face intersecting barriers.
Contributing OpDivs and StaffDivs
AHRQ, ASPE, ASPR, CDC, FDA, HRSA, NIH, OASH, and OGA work to achieve this objective.
Strategies
Uphold scientific integrity to promote public trust in the quality of the research enterprise
- Ensure the quality and integrity of research findings through education and training of the scientific workforce.
- Strengthen regulatory and compliance capacity to account for the rapid increase in research technology and data capabilities, including investing in HHS offices with oversight of research integrity, human research protections, and animal care and use.
- Develop and implement approaches, including developing and disseminating guidelines, standards, policies, or regulations, that enhance the integrity and quality of HHS-funded research by promoting a climate that incentivizes research conducted responsibly, with rigor and integrity in accordance with these expectations and those of the relevant scientific discipline.
- Promote transparency and awareness by informing the public on efforts across the Department to ensure the scientific integrity in all research and evidence-building activities.
Recruit, retain, and develop a diverse and inclusive scientific workforce to conduct basic and applied research in disease, healthcare, public health, and human services
- Expand and deploy evidence-based training, mentorship interventions, fellowships, and other workforce development initiatives that support scientists, especially underrepresented scientists, through critical points of transition in their career trajectories.
- Increase research and practice opportunities for a diverse range of investigators to address social determinants of health and advance health equity in populations with health disparities.
- Attract, develop, and retain the scientific workforce by establishing a talent management strategic plan with input from government, industry, and academic stakeholders.
- Retain staff with expertise in scientific and research methods using recognition, training, and retention incentives to ensure that the scientific workforce has the skills and expertise necessary to adopt and implement the most innovative statistical and scientific methods.
- Support scientists as they embark on, transition to, and sustain independent research careers to sustain the research enterprise.
Support, conduct, and translate research into interventions that improve the health and well-being for all
- Support and promote the development of partnerships between academic research organizations and health department, healthcare providers, community-based health organizations, and community organizations for relevant rapid implementation research and community-based participatory research to engage communities impacted by the research in the development and dissemination of the research.
- Identify and address barriers to collaboration and data sharing within HHS and other federal agencies, academic and public health partners, and private industry to make it easier to conduct cross-cutting, high impact, transdisciplinary, innovative research.
- Expand the availability and accessibility to tools, technologies, knowledge repositories, and training to ensure the nation’s research institutions have the capacity, technology, and infrastructure they need to design and execute impactful research programs that benefit multiple communities to help achieve the HHS mission.
- Partner with educational institutions that serve underserved populations to implement technical assistance outreach programs to increase awareness of research funding opportunities and increase the competitiveness of submitted research applications.
- Promote cross-functional and, importantly, cross-division efforts to identify emerging promising technologies and establish frameworks for the ethical development, study, and use of these technologies.
- Provide research grants for areas that are cutting edge in technology or disease and grow those resources.
- Fund opportunities for research implementing and evaluating community-based and culturally-competent models of healthcare and human services delivery to improve the quality of care received by racial and ethnic minority and sexual minority populations.
- Establish innovative funding opportunities to identify sources for community partners working on areas of concern who can also provide the health and human services communities with best practices in achieving positive results in interventions, treatments, and programs.
- Support research and innovation to strengthen implementation of evidence-based recommendations for preventive health services in public health and healthcare settings among people that have been underserved.
