A Call to End Funding Discrimination Against Black Scientists in the United States

Representatives of a network of female deans, chairpersons, and distinguished professors of biomedical engineering called on the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies to address the gap in support allocated to black researchers. The team called for action in the journal Cell on January 26, 2021.

Karen Christman

Two engineering schools at the University of California, San Diego are co-authors: Karen Christman, associate dean and professor of bioengineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering, and Padmini Rangamani, professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering.

When researching racial inequality and injustice that prevents black faculty from contributing fairly to science and realizing their full potential, the lack of federal funding for black scientists has become a primary problem.

According to the research on the allocation of research funds from the National Institutes of Health, the award rate for black applicants to receive research funds is about 55% of that of white major researchers with similar academic achievements. Although the reasons behind this discrepancy have been reviewed internally and are expected to do better, the funding gap continues.

Efforts have been made to improve the pipeline to encourage black students to prepare and enter careers for researchers and university and university faculty. But once they go to work, lack of research funding will derail these professions. Many universities use the ability of teachers to support their research as part of their tenure and promotion decisions. As a result, the funding gap of the National Institutes of Health will end the careers of black scientists. In addition, if there is not enough research funding, these scientists may be discouraged and leave their majors.

This means that fewer black scientists can still serve as role models and mentors for the next generation. This also means that many important research questions that are vital to society are not raised, because the views, creativity and knowledge of various scientists are not used. The public cannot see black faces or hear the voices of black science experts on important issues.

The author of the paper puts forward some suggestions on how to eliminate the difference in research funding. Possible steps for funding agencies include:

The researchers wrote in Cell: "Scientific colleagues, let each of us use our own voices and actions to overcome the racism of our profession and act as an anti-racist agent for change."

Padmie Langamani

They recommended some methods so that individual scientists and universities, colleges and research institutes can move forward. These suggestions include recognizing that they may inadvertently contribute to systemic racism in their academic roles. They wrote that the academic community must also move from a solidarity statement to a transformative organizational change.

Finally, the author also looks at the private sector, such as philanthropists and industrial leaders, whose companies rely on scientific innovation, and foundations and professional associations to help bridge racial differences in research funding. Genentech, a biotechnology company, established a Black Scientist Research Fund grant program to recognize its leadership in reducing racial disparities in science.

The private and public sectors can jointly fund the innovative ideas and powerful talents of black scientists, thereby enhancing their scientific creativity and innovation capabilities and bringing greater social well-being.

The corresponding author of the paper, "Funded Black Scientist" is the senior author of Omolola Eniola-Adefeso, Professor of Diversity and Social Transformation at the University of Michigan University of Chemical Engineering, and the lead author of Kelly R. Stevens, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Engineering. Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin. Stevens is also a researcher at the Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine.

Other engineering researchers co-authoring the paper are: Kristyn S. Masters University, Wisconsin-Madison; Princess Imoukhuede and Lori A. Setton of Washington University in St. Louis; Karmella A. Haynes of Emory University; University of Texas at Austin Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandes and Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert; Muyinatu A. Lediju Bell, Johns Hopkins University; Padmini Rangamani and Karen Christman, University of California, San Diego; Stacey Finley, University of Southern California; Rebecca Willits and Abigail N. Northeastern University Koppes; Naomi Chesler, University of California, Irvine; Josephine Allen, University of Florida, Gainesville; Joyce N. Wong, Boston University; Hana El-Samad and Tejal Desai, University of California, San Francisco, also contributed to the Cell paper.

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