I am pleased to announce the release of both the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Sexual and Gender Minority Research (SGMRO) Annual Report and the Fiscal Year 2018 Sexual & Gender Minority Research Portfolio Analysis. We have also published a new SGMRO Director’s Voice Blog post, which is included below, about the release of the reports and other exciting news from the Office:
“As Pride Month comes to a close, I’m excited to share with you some of the hard work we have accomplished here at the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to our normal work arrangements, the SGMRO team has been continuing to work relentlessly to support SGM-related research activities across the agency.
“Foremost, I am pleased to announce the release of both the FY 2019 SGMRO Annual Report and the FY 2018 Sexual & Gender Minority Research Portfolio Analysis. The Annual Report presents a representative sample of research-related activities and initiatives from across the NIH for FY 2019 and illustrates the breadth of the SGM-relevant work being conducted across the ICOs. The Portfolio Analysis describes SGM-related research that was funded by the NIH within FY 2018.
“This year, the Portfolio Analysis features new analyses based on the curation of the FY 2018 Sexual & Gender Minority (SGM) dataset. It includes population variables, race and ethnicity, age, research methods, type of study, and other research variables. We anticipate that these new variables will lead to fresh insights and further analyses that will help identify trends in current funding, as well as areas of opportunity in future SGM health research funded by the NIH.
“This month we also successfully launched the SGMRO Scientific Webinar Series, which seeks to promote research being conducted by NIH-funded investigators in the field of SGM health. The goals of this series are to highlight current and groundbreaking SGM health research and to provide a forum that allows students, postdocs, early-stage investigators, and others to envision a research trajectory in SGM health research. Our inaugural speaker was Brian Mustanski, PhD, director of the Northwestern Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing and Member of the NIH SGM Research Working Group, who spoke about ‘Creating Health Equity for Young SGM People.’ A recording and transcript of the webinar will be made available on the SGMRO website in the coming weeks.
“Finally, I am very excited to share some news regarding a few projects that are still in the works. On September 17, our Office will be hosting the SGMRO Research Symposium & Investigator Awards Program. This symposium will not only commemorate the Office’s five-year anniversary but will also feature lectures from NIH-funded investigators and awardees on a variety of different topics relating to SGM health.
“During this symposium, we will be unveiling the NIH FY 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan to Advance Research on the Health and Well-being of Sexual & Gender Minorities. This Strategic Plan will build upon the foundation of the previous NIH SGM Research Strategic Plan, presenting scientific themes and operational goals and objectives that aim to enhance the agency’s SGM-related research and data collection efforts, while also supporting a diverse scientific workforce devoted to improving our understanding of the health of SGM communities. The Office has been working on the development of this plan for over a year, using input provided from across the agency and beyond. I believe our efforts have culminated in a plan that will truly enhance and expand SGM-related research activities and initiatives at the agency.
“As you can see, it’s been full speed ahead here at the SGMRO. Our office remains committed to fostering the field of SGM health research and ensuring the representation and inclusion of SGM populations in research and other initiatives at the NIH. I cannot wait to see how the next couple of years unfold! Happy Pride Month everyone.”
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