Diversity Programs

NIDDK is committed to fostering equity in its research activities by offering and participating in a variety of opportunities to researchers from underrepresented backgrounds. Below is information about our programs, current funding opportunities, and grant research opportunities that we collaborate with other groups and institutes to offer. If you have questions, please contact the corresponding program staff.

Our Programs

Network of Minority Health Research Investigators

The main objective of the network is to encourage and facilitate participation of members from under-represented population groups and others interested in minority health to conduct biomedical research in the fields of diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, digestive diseases, nutrition, kidney, and urologic and hematologic diseases.

Travel and Scholarship Awards

Awards and scholarships for travel to major meetings focused on minority communities are available for undergraduates, residents, and fellows.

High School and Undergraduate Programs

Summer research and training programs are available for students from under-represented groups.

Bringing Resources to Increase Diversity, Growth, Equity, & Scholarship for Obesity, Nutrition, & Diabetes Research (BRIDGES) Consortium

The purpose of this program is to enhance the diversity of the early career research workforce who are available to successfully compete for independent research funding from NIH in the areas of nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and related conditions. The program will provide career development resources and pilot and feasibility funding opportunities for participating early career investigators. 

DiabDocs National K12 Physician Scientist Career Development Program

A highly collaborative national program, providing mentoring, protected effort, and research funds for physician-scientists in diabetes research across the country. Physicians from groups under-represented in medicine and science are strongly encouraged to apply (DiabDiversity).

Investigator Award to Support Mentoring of Early Career Researchers from Diverse Backgrounds

The purpose of this award is to provide protected effort and resources to established, NIDDK-funded, mentors to provide high quality mentoring to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups.

NIDDK Partnerships with Professional Societies

This program encourages professional societies supporting the NIDDK mission areas to develop educational programs aimed at recruiting talented junior faculty from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences research.

Helping to Accelerate Research Potential (HARP)

The goal of the HARP program is to facilitate the development and mentorship of a cohort of NIDDK-funded postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty from diverse backgrounds so that they may transition to research independence.

MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity

This program supports diverse postdocs to develop their independent research skills through a two-phase program: an initial mentored research experience followed by a period of independent research.

Current Diversity Program Funding Opportunities

The table displays the five most recent funding opportunities for diversity programs. To view all NIDDK diversity opportunities, including the Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research and Research Supplements to Promote Re-Entry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Centers, view the Current Funding Opportunities table. Or, view NIH wide diversity opportunities.

Funding Opportunity Results

View More Recent Funding Opportunities
  1. NOT-DK-24-007

    Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Addressing Health Disparities and Advancing Health Equity in NIDDK Diseases

  2. PAR-24-077

    Addressing Health and Health Care Disparities among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations (R01 - Clinical Trials Optional)

  3. PAR-23-275

    NIAID and NIDDK Research Opportunities for New and "At-Risk" Investigators to Promote Workforce Diversity (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

  4. PA-23-271

    Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31-Diversity)

  5. NOT-OD-23-166

    Notice of Special Interest in Research on Family Support and Rejection in the Health and Well-Being of SGM Populations

View More Recent Funding Opportunities

Additional Research Grant Programs

  • The Indian Health Service (IHS) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health have a joint partnership supporting the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH). The NARCH initiative, started in the year 2000, supports partnerships between AI/AN Tribes or Tribally-based organizations and institutions that conduct intensive academic-level biomedical, behavioral, and health services research.

  • SCORE is a developmental program that seeks to increase the research competitiveness of investigators at minority-serving institutions with 50 percent or more of student enrollments from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research, and to increase the research capabilities of these institutions.

  • To address present health disparities, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), in collaboration with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), established the Minority Organ and Tissue Donation Program. With more organs and tissues from minority groups in the donor pool, the survival rates and quality of life of their members are expected to improve.

  • The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to provide support for clinical scientists from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds or disadvantaged backgrounds and clinical scientists with disabilities to conduct small research projects in the area of diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, digestive diseases, hepatology, obesity, nutrition, kidney, urology, or hematology. The R21 is intended to support small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources.

  • These funding supplements are intended to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences research workforce.

Last Reviewed April 2023