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NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 75 years: 1950-2025 75 years: 1950-2025
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  6. NMRI Boards

NMRI Boards

There are two groups within the Network of Minority Health Research Investigators:

NMRI Planning Board

Tasked with organizing the annual meeting, including developing the program agenda, as well as soliciting and obtaining speakers and facilitators for breakout sessions.

Membership

The Planning Board is comprised of 10 members that represent the varied constituencies of the NMRI, as well as representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Members will be asked to serve a 2-year term. Terms will end immediately following the completion of the workshop, at which time the next term begins. Terms will be staggered so that 50 percent of the group will rotate off at the end of each year, and new members will be solicited annually from the general membership of the NMRI. However, individuals may have the opportunity to serve for more than one term if it is deemed in the best interest of the group and/or if there are insufficient nominees in a given year to replace those members that are rotating off the group. The 2-year term does not apply to NIH staff. A Chair and Chair-Elect will be appointed from the group membership; if more than one candidate is identified, then a ballot vote of the group will be undertaken. The Chair will serve for 1 year. The Chair will be in his/her second year of service and the Chair-Elect in his/her first year of service. The immediate past Chair will serve 1 additional year.

Meetings

The Planning Board will convene by conference call once a month, and the final meeting will coincide with the annual meeting of the network. 

The broad mandate of the Board includes:

  1. Taking primary responsibility for the organization of the annual workshop.
  2. Identifying speakers and topics for the annual workshop.
  3. Facilitating the identification of new members to attend the workshop.
  4. Ensuring that the annual workshop activities fall within the specific programmatic areas of the NIDDK (Diabetes, Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases, Digestive Diseases, Nutrition, Obesity, Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases) and that the membership of the group reflect and represent these programmatic areas.
  5. Promoting interactivity of the NMRI membership with other relevant scientific societies or community-based organizations through the annual workshop.
  6. Facilitating the development of active mentoring relationships between senior and junior members of the network (e.g., for issues such as grants, manuscripts, career advice, etc.), through the annual workshop.

NMRI Oversight Board

Tasked with overseeing many activities that will be essential for the successful maintenance of the network.

Membership

The Oversight Board is comprised of 10 members and 2 Ad Hoc members who represent the varied constituencies of the NMRI, as well as representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Members are asked to serve a 2-year term. Terms will be staggered so that 50 percent of the group will rotate off at the end of each year, and new members will be solicited annually from the general membership of the NMRI. However, individuals may have the opportunity to serve for more than one term if it is deemed in the best interests of the Board and/or if there are insufficient nominees in a given year to replace those members who are rotating off the group. The 2-year term does not apply to NIH staff or Ad Hoc members. A Chair and Chair-Elect will be appointed from the Board membership. The Chair will serve for 1 year. The Chair will be in his/her second year of service and the Chair Elect in his/her first year of service.

Meetings

The Oversight Board will convene by conference call every 3 months, and the fourth meeting will coincide with the annual meeting of the Network.

The broad mandate of the Board includes:

  1. Facilitating the development of active mentoring relationships between senior and junior members of the Network (for issues such as grants, manuscripts, and career advice).
  2. Identifying new members and planning outreach to organizations such as SACNAS and the SNMA, which may have graduate student members who potentially could become members of the Network.
  3. Establishing specific groupings of Network members by research/professional interest or geographical location.
  4. Coordinating with professional societies that host annual meetings attended by Network members with the potential goal of organizing an informal gathering at one of these meetings. For example, participating in the activities of organizations such as the Endocrine Society, AALD, ASN , ASBMR which have active minority affairs programs.
  5. Exploring mechanisms to evaluate Network effectiveness in terms of outcomes such as:
    1. success in obtaining extramural grant funding, promotions, tenure, etc., and
    2. identifying members who have lost or still are trying to secure funding and referring these individuals to other Network members for advice and assistance,
  6. Ensuring that NMRI members and activities fall within the specific programmatic areas of the NIDDK (Diabetes, Endocrinology, Digestive Diseases, Obesity, Kidney Diseases, Urology, and Hematology) and that the membership of the group reflects and represents these programmatic areas.
Last Reviewed April 2024