Committing to Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in Scientific Research
Anti-Black racism and oppression are persistent in our society and in academic and research institutions, contributing to poor recruitment and retention of Black scientists. While Black Americans made up 13.4 percent of the U.S. population in 2019, they held 3.9 percent of academic faculty positions.1,2 Disparities in funding for Black principal investigators (PIs) are also significant, as they are awarded NIH funding at approximately half the rate of white PIs with similar academic qualifications.3-5 In the face of systemic racism and underrepresentation, Black pioneers have continued to make profound contributions to cancer research and medicine.6 To learn more about NIH's racial funding disparity, read Fund Black scientists or see Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. NIH R01 racial funding disparity
We strongly encourage you to continue educating yourself and those around you on ways to support the recruitment and retention of Black researchers and to combat anti-Black racism in academia and in the workplace.
A few examples of ways to do so include:
- Fostering inclusive and diverse environments in professional and personal spaces
- Committing to antiracist action and engaging in allyship
- Identifying and dismantling barriers to attaining research funding
- Supporting and mentoring early-career Black scholars
- Sharing growth opportunities and resources with Black colleagues
- Inviting and amplifying the voices of Black scholars in scientific meetings