directed to minority populations. As a result, introducing genetic diversity into the field has been difficult if not impossible.
Dr. Esteban Burchard of the University of California San Francisco has applied for federal funding eleven times and was turned down every time. He came to realize that there was a great white wall between him and federal research dollars.
Burchard and his colleagues decided it was time to examine the NIH’s diversity record. Using a Freedom of Information request Burchard discovered that scientist of color have been nearly excluded from federal research funding compared to white scientist. This pattern goes back thirty years. According to Burchard black scientist are ten percent less likely to get funded, Asian scientist are eight percent less likely and Hispanic funding requests are not even recorded by the NIH.
“Money is just part of the problem,” says Burchard. Genetic research projects are subject to a peer review process by NIH scientist. “We’ve demonstrated that the majority of those scientists are white males.” He went on to say that often times these scientists may not have an understanding of differences between racial and ethnic groups. “Over the last thirty years there is a consistent bias in who gets money to do federally funded research.”
A lack of minority scientist results in what Burchard calls the “safari” affect. “This is where people come into a community, take samples and then depart. There is no interface between the scientist and the people of the community being studied. That creates a tremendous distrust.” Burchard believes that the lack of minority scientists is a primary obstacle into minority medical research. Burchard also pointed out that there is pipeline problem. “Percentages of minority physicians has not increased since I started medical school in 1990.”
“We need minorities. Not only scientist, but physicians, health care providers and stake holders in the community at the table when the research is being designed. Not as an after-thought once scientist get the money.”
In response to Burchard’s and the criticism of other professionals the NIH, under the Obama administration, increased funding for