Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Anti-Racism Initiatives

Framed within HMS’ mission statement, the following initiatives form the next wave of our important work toward becoming a more inclusive, diverse and anti-racism institution.

  • Teaching and Learning: We will review the functions and programs across Medical and Graduate Education—including admissions, learning environment, curriculum, student affairs, assessment and faculty and staff development—with the goal of identifying areas of concern, closing gaps and developing action plans to monitor and report racist actions that occur across programs and associated learning environments. We will develop new classes for master’s and PhD students to acknowledge the ways in which racism is embedded in science and scientific culture and work to redress these longstanding issues. We will create clearer, more direct outlets for members of our community to report instances of discrimination. And we will increase diversity in our external education course leadership and faculty, marketing and social media content, and in the breadth and depth of issues covered in these programs and materials.
  • Discovery and Scholarship: Within our preclinical departments, we will hire, as part of a cohort-hire initiative, up to four outstanding scientists in the life sciences who are committed to advancing HMS’ mission and community values. We will develop guidance, standards and metrics for faculty excellence in the areas of diversity, inclusion and belonging; create a path for faculty to be recognized for their contributions to this area; and signal to faculty the importance that HMS places on these contributions to its mission.
  • Service and Leadership: We will create events and dialogues that bring members of our community together to promote diverse perspectives on and understanding of history and context, and that bring our HMS community together with members of our neighboring communities. We will recognize and support the establishment of communities within community, such as the new HMS Black Postdoctoral Association and Black Staff Caucus. And we will launch a public dashboard to track progress toward our goals, be transparent and hold ourselves accountable.