This notice will support projects investigating inequities in women and girls’ health and intervention studies to improve equity. Additionally, projects with an emphasis on those that integrate measures beyond the individual level and consider perspectives from multiple disciplines are of specific interest. A broad range of research topics studied at the preclinical, clinical, behavioral, and translational levels—including proposals incorporating multilevel interventions, using community-engaged approaches, and focusing on one or more NIH-designated health disparities populations—are encouraged.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Examination of structural factors that influence morbidity, mortality, and healthcare access, entry, and/or retention
  • Studies of health interventions that incorporate constructs and measurement of structural racism and/or discrimination
  • Studies exploring gender-sensitive training for providers to optimize outcomes and reduce gender-based health inequalities (e.g., gendered dynamics of public health crises)
• Studies seeking to identify novel dissemination and implementation approaches to reach underserved, understudied, and underrepresented populations of women
• Studies exploring the causes of differences in entry, utilization, and retention of primary and preventive health care services and treatment adherence among underserved and underrepresented populations of women (i.e., intersectional stigma)
• Studies exploring geographic barriers to care-seeking behavior and outcomes of underserved, understudied, and underrepresented women
• Studies exploring caretaking/caregiving responsibilities, gender discrimination, and structural barriers to healthcare utilization
• Studies to accelerate research on technologies to overcome barriers and increase uptake of preventative interventions and effective therapeutics at the point of care (e.g., Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), community hospitals, Indian Health Service affiliated hospitals/health facilities)
• Studies exploring chronic debilitating conditions and multimorbidity in underserved, understudied, and underrepresented populations of women (e.g., women affected by autoimmune and neurological conditions, mental health disorders, and female-specific conditions) and the impact of evidence-based care coordination models on outcomes and trajectories of multimorbidity
• Studies exploring social and structural determinants of health inequities in maternal health and maternal morbidity and mortality
• Studies exploring inequities in gynecologic cancer screening, treatment, and supportive care
• Studies exploring Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) infection (long COVID), or long-term effects of COVID-19 among understudied, underrepresented, underreported populations of women
• Studies exploring the effects of direct and indirect exposures to violence across the lifespan, including intimate partner violence and elder mistreatment, and abuse during pregnancy and its subsequent impact upon infants/children
• Studies leveraging clinical research networks to accelerate novel testing, pharmacologic, and disease management approaches focused on female-specific diseases, menopause, musculoskeletal diseases, inflammation and immunity, and aging
• Studies focused on Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias (AD/ADRD). Relevant areas of AD/ADRD research emphasis include, but are not limited to, those described in AD and ADRD Research Implementation Milestones framework.