Rethinking Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research

In 2023, the National Academies convened an expert committee to assess the current use of racial and ethnic categories in biomedical research, review existing guidance for researchers, and provide new guidance for future use. The resulting 2024 report, Rethinking Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research, outlines nine actionable recommendations and associated resources for advancing the responsible use of race and ethnicity.

The recommendations of Rethinking Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research address how to: decide whether to use race and ethnicity in different research contexts; characterize and disclose limitations of datasets that include racial and ethnic information; identify factors to investigate instead of or alongside race and ethnicity; include overlooked populations in analysis; and support sustained community engagement.

Table of Contents

Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Foundations and Background 3 Current Use of Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research 4 Existing Guidance on Using Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research 5 Reconceptualizing the Use of Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research 6 Recommendations to Guide the Use of Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research Appendix A: Study Approach and Methods Appendix B: Community Engagement Continuum Table Appendix C: Multiracial Analysis Schemes Appendix D: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches