The Health Research Alliance (HRA), a collaborative member organization of nonprofit research funders, has announced the launch of an inclusive grantmaking initiative aimed at increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the biomedical workforce and fostering equitable research that accelerates scientific discovery while reducing health disparities. 

The initiative will collect demographic data to enable funders to evaluate diversity within their programs and track the effectiveness of any strategies implemented to increase equity and inclusion across the grants cycle; increase the diversity of applicant pools, including by broadening the distribution of funding announcements to include direct outreach to underrepresented groups; and reduce bias in peer review by publications and grantmaking organizations, starting with collecting and analyzing demographic data of applicants and awardees to determine whether any populations are underfunded. 

“Inclusive grantmaking is a priority of the HRA,” said Sindy Escobar Alvarez, HRA board chair and medical research program director at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “This initiative will provide a structure for member organizations to collaborate, learn, and disseminate lessons, which has the potential to impact thousands of researchers in biomedicine and, more broadly, to improve peer review.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Vadzim Kushniarou)