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Marie A. Bernard, M.D.

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It is with immense appreciation for her many contributions to the ×îÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ (NIH) and biomedical research enterprise broadly, that I announce that Marie A. Bernard, M.D., the NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD) in the NIH Office of the Director, will retire from federal service on December 31, 2024. Since taking the role in October 2020, she has made tremendous progress in building, disseminating and acting on evidence to strengthen the scientific workforce through equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Under her leadership, NIH launched the 21^st Century Scholars Program to build a culture to mentor and support NIH Program Officers and Scientific Review Officers, with a goal of broadening the range of scientists and Institutions to whom they make outreach. Dr. Bernard also launched the Engagement and Access for Research-Active Institutions (EARA) which is designed to help institutions navigate funding opportunities, access resources, and connect with NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices.

Dr. Bernard has been an exemplar for fostering an equitable workplace at NIH and at the institutions we fund. She was a co-leader in launching the UNITE Initiative in February 2021Ìýand has been spearheading its progress as a cochair since its launch. She co-led the development of theÌýFiscal Years 2023 – 2027 NIH-wide Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)Ìýand has been supporting implementation efforts. She serves as a cochair of the Working Group on Diversity of the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director and cochairs the NIH Steering Committee Working Group on DEIA.ÌýShe has also served as the Department of Health and Human Services liaison to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy-led Committee on STEM, and the Federal Coordinating Committee on STEM. Her accomplishments are many, but what I’ve appreciated most about Dr. Bernard is that throughout her leadership she has demonstrated an infinite capacity for patience and compassion in everything she does.

Dr. Bernard’s work within NIH has been recognized with several NIH Director’s Awards, including in 2020 for her leadership in equity, diversity and inclusion, and in 2022 for her leadership of the NIH UNITE Initiative and the NIH Anti-Racism Steering Committee.

Prior to her current position, Dr. Bernard served as the Deputy Director of the ×îÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ Institute on Aging (NIA). There she served as the principal advisor to the NIA director and the senior geriatrician. She led a broad range of activities, including cochairing two Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020/2030 objectives – 1) Older Adults, and 2) Dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease. She co-led the NIH-wide Inclusion Governance Committee that ensures appropriate inclusion of individuals in clinical studies, including by sex/gender, race/ethnicity, and children/older adults. She also led the Women of Color Committee of the NIH-wide Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers.

Dr. Bernard’s passion and dedication for bringing together diverse perspectives to drive transformative change and achieve scientific excellence will be greatly missed. Please join me in thanking Dr. Bernard for her leadership, and in wishing her the very best in her next chapter.

Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D.
Director, ×îÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ

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