New Strategic Plan
In 2020, NINDS began a new planning effort focused on health disparities and health equity for neurological disorders with a Request for Information (RFI) to gather broad input. Additional updates to this plan will be made available soon.
Overview
The NINDS is committed to reducing the disproportionate burden of neurological disease borne by underserved groups of society, including racial and ethnic minority, rural, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, by funding a spectrum of research from basic science through clinical studies and training the next generation of health disparities investigators. In alignment with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030 initiative HE definition, NINDS research efforts are aimed to promote health by facilitating the elimination of obstacles that create unfair and unjust access to health opportunity.
To accomplish this, NINDS carried out health equity strategic planning to develop a comprehensive plan to guide research investments to advance HE in neurological disorders over the next 5 – 10 years.
Background
In 2010, the NINDS organized a workgroup of the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NANDS) Council to generate recommendations on how the institute should address disparities and inequities in neurological disorders (2011 Report of the NINDS Advisory Panel on Health Disparities Research(pdf, 369 KB)). This workgroup recommended that a transparent and systematic approach be developed to enumerate the issues and guide funding decisions. Based on these recommendations, the NINDS/Office of Global Health and Health Disparities (OGHHD) in the Division of Clinical Research (DCR) is leading a strategic planning process to guide NINDS’s research efforts in this space for the next 5-10 years. It is NINDS’s goal that this process be data-driven, standardized, and transparent, and will reflect a wide range of perspectives and stakeholders interested in the elimination of disparities and inequities in neurological care, outcomes, treatment, access and provision of services, and research.
In 2020, the NINDS Office of Global Health and Health Disparities within the Division of Clinical Research, in collaboration with the Office of Science Policy and Planning, embarked on a new strategic planning process to address health disparities and inequities in neurological disorders through research.
Charge of the Committee
This new NANDS Working Group was charged with providing scientific guidance via NANDS Council to NINDS on how best to advance research on health disparities and health equity, with a focus on addressing biologic, socio-demographic, economic and other determinants of health.
Consistent with this charge, this NANDS-WG:
- Reviewed and assisted in the dissemination of the request for information (RFI). The purpose of the RFI aimed to obtain community/stakeholder input regarding areas of disparity/inequity in neurological disorders, care/services and opportunities for intervention, implementation, and dissemination research.
- Reviewed aggregate responses from the RFI, reviewed NINDS portfolio and literature analyses, giving consideration to: (a) those conditions or groups of conditions with higher overall burden of disease, (b) areas with clear definable, evaluable, and treatable targets, (c) unique issues related to the nature of the neurological condition (e.g. stigma), and (d) social impact.
- Determined gaps, omissions, and ways to optimize this HD strategic planning process.
- Summarized the “state-of-the science” and potential opportunities for disparities and inequities interventions, relevant to the research areas supported by NINDS, other NIH ICOs, and other collaborative federal/non-federal partners. Areas for consideration include basic and clinical research, health services, policy, epidemiological interventions, and implementation/dissemination strategies.
Process, Deliverables, and Timeframe
This working group of the NANDS Council:
- Assisted NINDS in seeking input broadly from stakeholders and other federal agencies on a 5-10 year strategic plan for HD research.
- Produced a research framework that delineates the spectrum of basic to applied research on the social and biological determinants of neurological health.
- Advised on and participate in the NINDS Health Disparities and Inequities in Neurological Disorders (HEADWAY) Workshop on September 22-24, 2021.
- Assisted in documenting the strategic planning process.
- Presented its final report of findings stemming from the above charge to the full NANDS Council.
NANDSC Working Group Members
Resources and Tools