[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 240 (Friday, December 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68179-68180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26915]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Request for Information on the Development of the Fiscal Year 
2021-2025 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Sexual & Gender Minority Health 
Research

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Through this Request for Information (RFI), the Sexual & 
Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) in the Division of Program 
Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), Office of 
the Director (OD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), invites 
feedback from stakeholders throughout the scientific research 
community, clinical practice communities, patient and family advocates, 
scientific or professional organizations, federal partners, internal 
NIH stakeholders, and other interested constituents on the development 
of the fiscal years (FY) 2021-2025 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Sexual 
and Gender Minority Health Research. This plan will describe future 
directions in sexual and gender minority (SGM) health and research to 
optimize NIH's research investments.

DATES: The SGMRO's Request for Information is open for public comment 
for a period of 6 weeks. Comments must be received on or before COB 
(5:00 p.m. ET) January 24, 2020 to ensure consideration. After the 
public comment period has closed, the comments received by SGMRO will 
be considered in a timely manner for the development of the FY 2021-
2025 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for SGM Health Research.

ADDRESSES: Please see the supplementary information to view the draft 
scientific and operational goals. Comments are strongly encouraged to 
be submitted by email to [email protected] or by mail to: SGMRO, DPCPSI, 
NIH, 6555 Rock Spring Drive, Suite 220, Rm. 2SE31J, Bethesda, MD 20817. 
Please include strategic plan in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Parker, Ph.D., MSW, Director, 
Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO), 6555 Rock Spring 
Drive, Suite 220, Rm 2SE31K, Bethesda, MD 20817, [email protected], 
301-451-2055.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: ``Sexual and gender minority'' is an umbrella term that 
includes, but is not limited to, individuals who identify as lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer, and/or 
intersex. Individuals with same-sex or -gender attractions or behaviors 
and those with a difference in sex development are also included. These 
populations also encompass those who do not self-identify with one of 
these terms but whose sexual orientation, gender identity or 
expression, or reproductive development is characterized by non-

[[Page 68180]]

binary constructs of sexual orientation, gender, and/or sex.
    The Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) coordinates 
sexual and gender minority (SGM)-related research and activities by 
working directly with the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. The 
Office was officially established in September 2015 within the NIH 
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives 
(DPCPSI) in the Office of the Director.
    In accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act, NIH is required to 
regularly update their strategic plans. In 2015, the NIH launched the 
NIH FY 2016-2020 Strategic Plan to Advance Research on the Health and 
Well-being of Sexual and Gender Minorities. The current strategic plan 
has provided the NIH with a framework to improve the health of SGM 
populations through increased research and support of scientists 
conducting SGM-relevant research. In January 2019, SGMRO published a 
mid-course review of the current NIH SGM strategic plan that provided 
recommendations to support further progress on the goals described 
therein. To establish NIH priorities in SGM health research for the 
next five years, SGMRO requests input from SGM health, research, and 
related communities in refining the goals of the FY 2021-2025 strategic 
plan.
    Request for Comment on Draft Goals: The NIH is developing a 
strategic plan to advance SGM research over the next five years. The 
SGMRO invites input from stakeholders throughout the scientific 
research community, clinical practice communities, patient and family 
advocates, scientific or professional organizations, federal partners, 
internal NIH stakeholders, and other interested members of the public 
on the proposed framework. This input is a valuable component in 
developing the SGM research strategic plan, and the community's time 
and consideration are appreciated.
    The populations considered under the SGM umbrella term are 
inclusive and captures all individuals and populations who do not self-
identify with binary constructs of sexual orientation, gender, and/or 
sex. For the FY 2021-2025 strategic plan, the scientific goals will 
include a focus on specific populations on which the lack of research 
remains significant. Examples of such populations may include persons 
with differences in sex development (DSD), intersex, bisexual, 
transgender, gender nonconforming, persons who have detransitioned/
desisted people, and SGM populations in Native communities.
    In addition, overarching topics will be considered across all 
scientific research goal areas in order to help foster a deeper 
understanding of SGM health disparities. Topics to be considered 
include health equity, research across the life span, trauma-informed 
research, community and culturally grounded research, and strengths-
based approaches. Scientific goal areas will also take into 
consideration intersectionality by recognizing overlapping and 
interconnected systems of oppression across different social categories 
and how they may compound health inequities. Examples of such 
categories may include ability status, age, race, ethnicity, 
incarceration status, veteran status, income level, and more.
    The NIH has identified four scientific research goal areas:
     Clinical Research: Examples include outcomes related to 
various DSDs, and sexual reproduction and pregnancy outcomes
     Social & Behavioral Research: Examples include the coming 
out process, healthy sexuality, interpersonal violence, mental health, 
substance use and abuse (opioids, tobacco use, other drugs), suicide 
risk and prevention, and stigma and discrimination
     Chronic Diseases and Comorbidities Research: Examples 
include Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), cancer, 
diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and infectious diseases
     Methods and Measures Research: Examples include culturally 
humble psychometrics, research on recruitment and sampling methods, 
particularly for most understudied SGM subgroups, and factors related 
to disclosure on surveys
    The NIH has also identified four operational goal areas:
     Advance rigorous research on the health of SGM populations 
in both the extramural and intramural research communities
     Expand SGM health research by fostering partnerships and 
collaborations with a strategic array of internal and external 
stakeholders
     Foster a highly skilled and diverse workforce in the SGM 
health research
     Encourage data collection related to SGM populations in 
research and in the biomedical research workforce
    The NIH seeks comments and/or suggestions from all interested 
parties on the proposed strategic plan goals.
    Responses to this RFI are voluntary. Do not include any 
proprietary, classified, confidential, trade secret, or sensitive 
information in your response. The responses will be reviewed by NIH 
staff, and individual feedback will not be provided to any responder. 
The Government will use the information submitted in response to this 
RFI at its discretion. The Government reserves the right to use any 
submitted information on public NIH websites; in reports; in summaries 
of the state of the science; in any possible resultant solicitation(s), 
grant(s), or cooperative agreement(s); or in the development of future 
funding opportunity announcements.
    This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should 
not be construed as a solicitation for applications or proposals, or as 
an obligation in any way on the part of the United States Federal 
Government, the NIH, or individual NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices 
to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. The 
Federal Government will not pay for the preparation of any information 
submitted or for the Government's use of such information. No basis for 
claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a 
response to this RFI or from the Government's use of such information. 
Additionally, the Government cannot guarantee the confidentiality of 
the information provided.

    Dated: December 6, 2019.
Lawrence A. Tabak,
Principal Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2019-26915 Filed 12-12-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P