Health equity is the state in which every person has a fair and just opportunity to achieve the best possible health. Achieving health equity is challenging because of many factors, including socioeconomic disparities, racial and ethnic discrimination, educational inequities, geographic limitations, cultural and language barriers, environmental exposures, political influences, and social factors such as the availability of housing, transportation, and social support systems. These factors affect who is involved in scientific research, what scientific questions are asked, and how scientific funding is directed—translating to inequities in how science is conducted. This, in turn, perpetuates health inequities by yielding findings that aren’t relevant to diverse populations. Many efforts are underway to break this cycle and move toward greater health equity.

The Milken Institute’s Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration partnered with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis of the state of the health equity and science field to facilitate greater understanding and identify areas where philanthropic support could catalyze action. This Giving Smarter Guide describes emerging trends, key stakeholders, funding patterns, critical barriers to progress, and areas of opportunity that philanthropic organizations are uniquely suited to address. The steps and recommendations detailed in this report will guide interested funders to drive significant impact at the intersection of health equity and science.

A detailed analysis of key stakeholders and funding priorities can be found in the companion piece Health Equity in Science: A Stakeholder and Funding Analysis.

Visit the Health Equity Program Page.