NIDCD establishes ad hoc working groups of the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NDCD) Advisory Council in support of the institute’s mandate to conduct and support biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. These working groups consist of a subset of the members of the NDCD Advisory Council, NIDCD staff member(s), and external consultant(s) as needed. NIDCD may create working groups to provide advice or recommendations to the NDCD Advisory Council, gather information, or assist with a particular project. The products of the working group, including reports and recommendations, are considered by the full NDCD Advisory Council. Once a working group has completed its task, it is disbanded.
Diversity Working Group (2021-2023)
The NDCD Advisory Council’s Diversity Working Group upholds NIDCD’s commitment to strengthening diversity in the scientific enterprise and addressing health equity. NIDCD Director Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., who chairs the advisory council, commissioned this working group in 2021 to provide recommendations to the institute to enhance its diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts.
The Diversity Working Group solicited feedback from council members, NIDCD staff, and other stakeholders to develop recommended goals for the institute:
- Increase the number of investigators from backgrounds currently underrepresented in biomedical science (for example, by increasing opportunities at earlier career stages).
- Expand NIDCD’s efforts in addressing health disparities.
Summary Documents
- NIDCD’s Commitment to Scientific Workforce Diversity and Health Disparities Research (2023) – PDF (214 KB)
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