WASHINGTON — Black scientists are less likely than whites to win research dollars from the National Institutes of Health, says a study released Thursday that is prompting changes at the premier science agency.
"This situation is not acceptable," declared NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.
Increasing diversity in science, to better reflect the U.S. population and its health problems, is a big concern. While women have made gains over the past few decades, minorities, especially blacks and Hispanics, still make up a small proportion of the nation's doctors, medical school faculty and biomedical researchers.
The study found a 10 percentage point gap between black and white researchers in winning the most common type of NIH grant — even though all held doctoral degrees and had similar research experience. Between 2000 and 2006, about 27 percent of white applicants won funding compared with about 17 percent of blacks.
AP
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