Administrative Supplement to NIH-funded TL1 Training Grants

摘要

ABSTRACT Racism, defined as the “structures, policies, practices, and norms that assign value and determine opportunity based on the way people look or the color of their skin,” has been characterized as a public health crisis and a root cause of racial health disparities by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These health dispari- ties are the result of long-standing systemic racism that has permeated both the delivery of health care and bio- medical research in the United States. In response, there has been renewed interest in reforming these racist structures and systems. However, a lack of collective understanding on issues related to race and racism have limited dialogue, resulting in approaches to address systemic racism in health care that are often performative and siloed within disciplines. To conduct interdisciplinary research that equitably improves the health of indi- viduals and the public, it is critical to provide the next generation of leaders in clinical and translational re- search (CTR) with the knowledge and skills necessary to address systemic racism. The behavioral and social sciences provide valuable frameworks and approaches through which the CTR community may cultivate a shared antiracist consciousness regarding racial equity. Specifically, systems-informed human cognitive pro- cessing and decision making are approaches derived from structured cognitive behavioral training that may enhance dialogue in service of cultivating racial equity consciousness, which is defined as the dispositions, knowledge, awareness, and skills that empower us to contemplate and foster racial equity. We contend that cul- tivating racial equity consciousness represents a vital first step to equitably enhance interdisciplinary collabo- ration and is applicable to the full CTR spectrum, from the lab to the community. Our objective for this supple- ment is to adapt, integrate, and evaluate a program to improve racial equity consciousness as it relates to CTR in the TL-1 pre and post-doctoral career development curriculum. Our Specific Aims are: 1) To incorporate ra- cial equity consciousness training into the career development curriculum of the TL1 fellows; 2) To integrate the concepts of racial equity consciousness and equity design thinking in the early conceptualization of the TL1 fellows’ research impact; and 3) To evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of the racial equity conscious- ness training as it relates to clinical and translational science. This supplement is responsive to the notice of special interest (NOT-OD-22-141) that seeks to integrate behavioral and social sciences to enhance multidisci- plinary collaboration. Our objective and Aims are aligned with NCATS's goal to train the next generation of the clinical and translational science to translate observations in the laboratory, clinic, and community into inter- ventions that equitably improve the health of individuals and the public.