National Institutes of Health and Funding Discretion

This chapter presents issues of inconsistency and bias in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding discretion. Through in-depth interviews with women of color in academic science, we explore the well-documented disparities in who and what has traditionally received federal funding. The narratives presented in this chapter provide insights into how the lived experiences of women of color shaped their research trajectories and identify barriers and facilitators to navigating the NIH funding system. We conclude by suggesting areas for intervention to increase the representation of women, and specifically women of color, among the pool of funded NIH research grants.