NIMHD COVID-19/Health Disparities Research

June 17, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical health of hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. and is also expected to have significant psychosocial, behavioral and socioeconomic impacts on health. These impacts disproportionately affect health disparity and vulnerable populations. To help address these impacts and health disparity, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) has announced several research funding opportunities. They include:

  • Supporting supplements to existing NIMHD grants to test community interventions focused on preventing or slowing COVID-19 transmission, evaluate local and state policies and programs intended to mitigate COVID-19 exposure and improve adherence, and reduce the negative impacts on the health of vulnerable groups and populations who experience health disparities. Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis through Dec. 15, 2020.   
  • Supporting 2-year community-engaged Testing Research Projects. These projects will examine SARS-CoV-2 infection patterns and efforts to increase access and effectiveness of testing among underserved populations. This funding opportunity will supplement relevant active research grants and cooperative agreements with community collaborations or partnerships to support COVID-19 testing among underserved and/or vulnerable populations. The application deadline is Aug. 7, 2020.   
  • Supporting digital health intervention research seeking to improve how we identify, treat or provide services for health conditions secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic for NIH-designated health disparity populations and those with medical or social vulnerabilities (e.g., residents of chronic care facilities, community-dwelling older adults, pregnant women, homeless, incarcerated, healthcare staff on the front lines of pandemic and workers in essential business operations). Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis through Dec. 15, 2020.
  • Partnering with other Institutes and Centers at NIH to support an upcoming funding opportunity announcement (FOA): Community Interventions to Address the Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Health Disparity and Vulnerable Populations. This FOA will solicit research to evaluate community interventions testing: 1) The impacts of mitigation strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission in NIH-designated health disparity populations and other vulnerable groups; and 2) Already implemented, new or adapted interventions to address the adverse psychosocial, sociocultural, behavioral and socioeconomic consequences of COVID-19 on the health of these groups.