Project Summary The Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (NORCs), supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), have sought to develop and to identify the barriers and challenges to success of scientists from underrepresented in academia (URiA) groups and to identify actionable strategies to overcome these challenges. As the Diversity Director of the Harvard NORC (NORCH), Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford has been extensively involved in these efforts, directing a NORC-wide symposia series addressing these topics, targeted to early career scientists, leaders of scientific societies, and senior academics and NIH leaders. To build on the knowledge gained and momentum built through the symposia series, the current goal is to continue these efforts by developing a Working Group, directed by Dr. Stanford, that will provide and enact specific recommendations to improve equity and inclusion for the NORCs through NORC-wide initiatives. This supplement will fund Dr. Stanford to direct the Working Group and to train and develop an early career scholar who will work closely with her to enact the NORC-wide efforts developed by the Group to promote URiA scientists. By funding Dr. Stanford’s efforts as well as her time to mentor the early career scholar, this supplemental grant will provide important career development for the scholar and ensure enactment of NORC- wide initiatives that increase the diversity of our research community and promote the advancement of investigators from URM backgrounds.

Project Narrative This supplement to the Harvard NORC will provide salary support for Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford to direct a NORC Working Group on Workforce Diversity and mentor an early career scholar from an underrepresented background who will work with her to spearhead and maintain NORC-wide efforts to increase support for and inclusion of scientists from underrepresented backgrounds working in nutrition and obesity research. The relevance of this is two-fold: Dr. Stanford will mentor someone who will emerge poised to continue advocating for diversity and inclusion and enacting specific programs for this purpose into the future, and the programs that result from the NORC Working Group will be highly meaningful in addressing the substantial need for better support and advancement of investigators from URM backgrounds.