The Office of Research on Women’s Health recently released the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women 2024–2028, a comprehensive roadmap that will inform NIH-supported research on various diseases and health conditions that affect women. Its development was led by a collaborative group of leaders from the NIH institutes, centers, and offices; external stakeholders and federal partners; and the public.  

The plan has Five Strategic Goals:

• Advance research that examines the multiple biological, behavioral, social, structural, and environmental factors that influence the health of women, as well as the intersections of these factors.
• Improve data science and data management practices with innovative research methods, measurements, and cutting-edge technologies to prevent and treat conditions affecting women.
• Foster women scientists’ career development and promote scientific workforce training and education that advances the health of women and the science of sex and gender influences.
• Support the basic and translational study of the biology underlying sex influences and its intersection with disease and health preservation in women across the life course.
• Advance community-engaged science across the research and practice continuum and enhance the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based solutions to improve the health of women.

Following the strategic plan’s publication, ORWH will partner with the NIH institutes, centers, and offices to operationalize these goals. As with the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, ORWH will employ the NIH Office of Evaluation, Performance, and Reporting Strategic Tracking and Reporting Tool to measure implementation progress. By evaluating our work, we can assess how ORWH and NIH are progressing towards the goals we have set out to accomplish for the health of women.

The strategic plan will guide NIH as it continues to promote research that fosters health equity to ensure that all women receive evidence-based disease prevention and treatment tailored to their unique needs and circumstances, and that women in scientific careers reach their full potential.

Be sure to check out our newly updated NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women landing page, where you can find out more information about the current and previous strategic plans released by ORWH.