NMRI History & Mission

In 1999, the NIH recognized the need to increase the number of minority health researchers who succeed in accessing grants and contracts for NIH research. The Office of Minority Health Research Coordination at the NIDDK established a communication network of current and potential biomedical research investigators and technical personnel interested in minority health research, including individuals from traditionally under-served communities: African American, Hispanic American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders, to address that need.

The primary mission of the NMRI is to encourage minority health investigators to be researchers in fields of interest to the NIDDK, including diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, digestive diseases, nutrition, kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. An important component of this network is the promotion of two-way communication between network members and the NIDDK. Through the NMRI, the NIDDK elicits recommendations for strategies to enhance opportunities for, and support of, underrepresented population groups and others in biomedical research. The NMRI strives to advance scientific knowledge and contribute to the reduction and eventual elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

More than 600 researchers have participated in NMRI workshops in the past decade, and approximately 100 are active members. The success of the NMRI, a network that is “owned” by its members and supported by the NIDDK, begins with the dedication of senior investigators who mentor and serve as role models for junior investigators. The participation of active members and the recruitment of new members is a primary reason for the Network’s success in the past and the reason for confidence that it will continue to grow in the future.

To see if you qualify for NMRI membership, please complete and submit the Enrollment Form on the NMRI Online System.

Last Reviewed April 2023