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Mission

The mission of the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.

To support this mission, NINDS:

  • Supports and performs basic, translational, and clinical neuroscience research through grants-in-aid, contracts, scientific meetings, and through research in its own laboratories and clinics.
  • Funds and conducts research training and career development programs to increase basic, translational and clinical neuroscience expertise and ensure a vibrant, talented, and diverse workforce.
  • Promotes the timely dissemination of scientific discoveries and their implications for neurological health to the public, health professionals, researchers, and policy-makers.
Interest in Diversity

NINDS is committed to the development of a biomedical research workforce that is representative of the diversity in American society. NINDS seeks to promote diversity in all of its training and research programs and to increase the participation of underrepresented groups through general training programs and through other efforts to enhance the pool of underrepresented scientists who are prepared to pursue careers in neuroscience research. These opportunities include: fellowships for graduate students, funds added to an existing grant for mentoring individuals across high school to faculty stage (e.g. diversity supplements), institutional research education awards to enhance professional development and career advancement of diverse researchers, and career development awards to assist transition to independent research careers.

NINDS also promotes diversity in the neuroscience community through programs to develop research infrastructure and capacity at institutions serving underrepresented groups. Funding opportunities include programs that establish faculty and resources for neuroscience research and education programs. Partnerships are established to enhance the capacity of these institutions to conduct high quality neuroscience research and provide attractive training and career opportunities for a diverse pool of talented individuals.

Diversity-Targeted Programs

Individual Programs

Institutional Programs

Visit the NINDS Diversity Policies and Resources site to learn more about our commitment to diversity and to read success stories from our institute. To stay up-to-date on NINDS Diversity Policies & Resources, sign up for the NINDS Diversity News to Use listserv .

Director's Statement
Walter Koroshetz, MD
Walter Koroshetz, MD
Director's Statement
NINDS has long recognized that achieving diversity in the neuroscience and biomedical research workforce is critical to realize our research goals; certainly all neuroscience benefits if we can engage all segments of society in our efforts to reduce the burden of illness due to neurological disorders and stroke. Reinvigorated by a special NINDS report evaluating our efforts, NINDS encourages activities to support diversity by all staff, throughout all corners of the Institute. The Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience (OPEN) Training, Career Development and Workforce Diversity coordinates NINDS’s diversity activities, spanning the training pipeline from innovative neuroscience education outreach (grades K-12) to funding opportunities and important mentoring networks across critical career transition points (from undergraduate up to junior faculty). In addition, our summer program efforts have been successful in bringing diverse students to intramural NIH laboratories for research experiences.