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Environmental Justice (defined)
Environmental justice is defined as “the 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”. 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 Centers Program Renewal
The EHD Centers Program will build upon the existing Centers of Excellence in Environmental Health Disparities, 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 EJ Scholars Program will bring in EJ expertise, knowledge, and skills from research scholars, academics, public health and health care professionals, and EJ leaders from community-based organizations to work alongside staff members at various NIH ICOs. The EJ Scholars Program aims to:
- Build NIH capacity to advance EJ-related research, programs, and other projects.
- Increase staff and community awareness and skills to address EJ issues.
- Grow and strengthen the NIH network of EJ resource experts.
- Contribute to NIH goals to address environmental factors that contribute to health disparities.
The 2024-2025 application cycle is now open until October 11, 2024. Please visit the EJ Scholars Program page for more information about the program and application.
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
- HHS Office of Environmental Justice
- EnvironmentalJustice.gov
- Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)
- EJ Executive Order: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (January 27, 2021)
- EJ Executive Order: Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All (April 21, 2023)
- Justice40
- National Science and Technology Council (NSTC): Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan (July 2024)
- White House Guidance on Indigenous Knowledge
- Request for Information (RFI): Environmental Justice Research Gaps, Opportunities and Capacity Building (December 15, 2023)
- NIH Environmental Justice and Health Interest Group
