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Environmental Justice (defined)
is defined as 鈥渢he just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment鈥. Environmental justice action translates environmental health disparities research into practice to address inequities, including regulatory enforcement or policy change.From Observation to Action
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental Justice (EJ) Initiative, led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Deputy Director Trevor Archer, Ph.D., brings together more than 70 individuals from across the 27 NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) to identify and implement transformative actions to advance environmental justice.
Backgound
The NIH EJ Initiative was created in response to a request by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra that all HHS operating divisions:
- Identify a senior leader point of contact for EJ activities.
- Identify three strategic and transformative EJ actions.
NIEHS Deputy Director Trevor Archer, Ph.D., was tasked by NIH leadership to head the Cross-NIH Environmental Justice (EJ) Working Group and supervise the implementation of its strategic activities. In 2023, the NIH EJ Working Group identified the following three transformative activities.
Strategic Activities
EHD聽Centers Program Renewal
The EHD Centers Program will build upon the existing , which involves the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The new centers will increase multidisciplinary research capacity building and community engagement with an explicit focus on environmental justice for the renewal.
NIMHD and NIEHS are co-leading the program renewal in 2025.
Environmental Justice Scholars Program
The 2024-2025 application cycle is now closed. Please visit the EJ Scholars Program page for more information about the program.
Environmental Justice Training
The EJ Training Program will establish an EJ-focused training program and resources for impacted, historically underserved communities and their residents, workers, researchers, health care and public health professionals, and policy makers. The program will focus on:
- Training for communities facing disproportionate risks.
- Training for NIH staff and researchers.
Training efforts are expected to begin in fall 2024.
Related Links
- Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool ()
- EJ Executive Order: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad ()
- EJ Executive Order: Revitalizing Our Nation鈥檚 Commitment to Environmental Justice for聽All ()
- National Science and Technology Council (NSTC): Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan ()
- Request for Information (RFI): Environmental Justice Research Gaps, Opportunities and Capacity Building ()
