Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Research

The Department of Pediatrics at CUIMC is committed to a research community and environment that is thoroughly inclusive, diverse, and equitable for faculty, staff, and trainees.

We recognize that structural racism and other fundamental inequalities historically have subdued and disenfranchised communities in the name of scientific inquiry. We are committed to eradicating bias and embracing anti-racist practices that show respect for both the scientists and communities who contribute to the science. We apply this commitment to our interactions in medicine, research, community engagement, and learning at all levels and believe this leads to innovation, transformation, and growth in our scientific and clinical practice. We will develop monitoring and tracking systems to ensure that we continue to progress in the diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging (DEIB) goals stated below.

Diversity and Inclusion

The department believes that diverse research environments positively impact scientific advancement. To that end, we seek to employ, educate, and retain individuals whose personal experiences and worldviews arise from varying cultures and life circumstances, specifically those who have been economically disadvantaged and/or historically marginalized due to their skin color, ethnicity, culture, religion, nationality, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and/or ability status.

  • We will develop systems to advance our goal of promoting inclusion and belonging in our research environments.
  • We will develop standards of inclusion to prioritize and reward mentoring of diverse learners.

The department actively works to create and prioritizes a learning and research environment that is free from academic discrimination and bullying and that supports and nourishes learners from all backgrounds and experiences.

Equity and Social Justice

We recognize the impact that systemic racism and implicit bias have on children’s health and wellbeing. We practice and promote the “principles and practice of equity-based clinical care, child advocacy, and child- and family-centered public policy.”

We additionally recognize the impact of systemic racism and implicit bias on our structures of medical and scientific research and learning. We seek to remove barriers to learners caused by systemic racism, to foster equitable access to opportunities and resources, and build strong and diverse communities of learners that remodel systemic factors that have led to the exclusion of historically underrepresented groups from science and medicine.

We use evidence-based methods to address and counter implicit and explicit bias.

We will seek to promote research in historically marginalized groups.

We will develop internal benchmarks so that that our research priorities can maximize representation of historically underrepresented groups. And that historical and present inequities are acknowledged along with efforts to remedy to the extent possible.

Community Engagement

The Department of Pediatrics recognizes the diverse communities of Northern Manhattan and surrounding areas that have been economically and socially marginalized.

  • We extend this commitment to each participant family in our research studies. 
  • We recognize our responsibility to be inclusive of all populations that we serve.
  • We center our learning and research in a framework of community engagement, which we define as an active, collaborative exchange of ideas and definition of focus for the collective well-being of the communities that we serve in our mission, as well as a commitment to equity and inclusion of historically underserved communities in research.
  • We engage with community stakeholders through our Family Advisory Council and Children’s Health Research Advisory Board and community-based partners and organizations.
  • We recognize that community-based participatory research offers many benefits including building on the strengths and resources within the community
  • We will track our efforts in this area and continually seek to improve.

Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Lenape People on which we learn, work, investigate, and gather at Columbia University.

References

Boulware LE, Corbie G, Aguilar-Gaxiola S, Wilkins CH, Ruiz R, Vitale A, Egede LE. Combating Structural Inequities-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Clinical and Translational Research. N Engl J Med 2022; 386(3), 201-203.

On Racism: A New Standard for Publishing on Racial Health Inequities, Health Affairs Blog, July 2, 2020.

Freeman RB, Huang W. Collaborating with People Like Me: Ethnic Co-authorship Within the United States. Journal of Labor Economics. 2015 33(S1), S289-S318.

Council on Community Pediatrics and Committee on Native American Child Health. Policy Statement—Health Equity and Children's Rights. Pediatrics. 2010 Apr;125(4):838-49. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-0235. Epub 2010 Mar 29. PMID: 20351009.

AMA Center for Health Equity. Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts. 2021

Armstrong K, Ritchie C. Research Participation in Marginalized Communities—Overcoming Barriers. N Engl J Med 2022; 386:203-205.