Trends in Clinical Research Including Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Participants Funded by the US National Institutes of Health, 1992 to 2018

Key Points Question What is the level of investment by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund clinical research focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations? Findings This cross-sectional study found 529 clinical research projects focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander participants funded by the NIH between 1992 and 2018, composing 0.17% of the total NIH budget. This proportion of the total NIH budget has only increased from 0.12% before 2000 to 0.18% after 2000. Meaning These findings suggest that without overt direction from federal entities, dedicated funds for health disparities research, and parallel efforts to increase diversity in the biomedical workforce, investments may continue to languish for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations.