Dean’s Diversity and Healthcare Disparity Research Awards

Applications Due: December 18, 2020 at 11:59pm

We are pleased to announce the fourth round of funding for the Dean’s Diversity and Healthcare Disparity Research Awards.  The awards will support excellence in research to improve the health of women and underrepresented minorities and/or to reduce health disparities in healthcare systems and in clinical settings, either locally or globally. Research into improving the diversity and gender balance of the biomedical workforce will also be supported, as lack of a representative workforce can be linked to health disparities, and we must move the needle and better confront inequality.

The Dean’s Diversity and Healthcare Disparity Research Awards are designed to further Weill Cornell Medicine’s goal of becoming a national leader in advancing diversity, inclusion, and gender equity within academic medicine.  We seek proposals for basic, translational, clinical, informatics, or outcomes research that addresses health disparity areas including, but not limited to: race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, differing standards of healthcare, insurance status, age, geography, sexual orientation, and cultural beliefs. Projects that enhance the diversity pipeline either through research or the inclusion of diverse personnel are encouraged.

The Dean’s Diversity and Healthcare Disparity Research Awards will provide funding for one year and will be available at two levels:

• Faculty (4 awards) – $50,000 each
• Fellows and Postdoctoral Associates (2 awards) – $50,000 each

Favor will be given to applicants where departmental commitment to retention/promotion is given. Pairing with more senior faculty members to provide mentorship/guidance will be permitted; however, the grant must be to the junior member, and a clear indication of how the project will enhance the development of an independent career for the more junior member will be required. A salary cap will be imposed on all project budgets; the funds allocated to the PI’s salary and fringe benefits may not exceed 25 percent of the total budget.

Applications are due on December 18, 2020 and will be evaluated by a scientific review committee through the Office of the Research Dean.  Award recipients may be invited to present their research projects the year following their completion during Weill Cornell Medicine’s Diversity Week. 

For eligibility criteria and more information on how to apply, please download the Request for Proposals.  Please contact Elizabeth Omondi (elo2010@med.cornell.edu) in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion with any questions.