NATIONAL INSTITUTE 

OF DIABETES AND 

DIGESTIVE AND

KIDNEY DISEASES

Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., M.A.C.P. 

Dr. Rodgers has been Director of 

NIDDK since 2007 and had served as 

Deputy Director since 2001. As a 

leading hematology investigator, he

is widely recognized for his 

contributionsto development of the 

first effective—and FDA-approved— 

therapy for sickle cell anemia.

NIDDK Efforts to Address Health Disparities and Promote Health Equity

Many of the diseases in NIDDK’s mission place disparate burdens on racial and ethnic

minority groups, rural populations, and people with lower incomes. Examples of NIDDK’s 

efforts to eliminate health disparities and advance health equity include:

A Working Group of NIDDK’s Advisory Council that is developing a Health Disparities 

and Health Equity Research Implementation Plan to identify specific research needs 

and opportunities.

Stakeholder Engagement Innovation Centers for type 1 and type 2 diabetes to 

promote engagement of communities and individuals who experience diabetesrelated health disparities.

Clinical trials that aim to improve diabetestechnology usage in individuals with type 

1 diabetes from racial and ethnic underrepresented backgrounds.

A new phase of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Genetics Consortium that is

recruiting more participants from minority populations, providing a clearer picture of 

how genetics intersect with IBD risk across all populations.

Researchers who developed a potential new way to diagnose kidney disease that 

eliminates race as a variable, an important step toward eliminating health disparities 

in estimating kidney function.

A new consortium that will test community-engaged interventions to dismantle or 

mitigate the effects of structural racism in the care and outcomes of people living 

with kidney disease.

Continued effortsto foster a diverse biomedical workforce through research training 

and career development programs. For example, Helping to Accelerate Research 

Potential (HARP) aims to provide opportunities and mentorship for current NIDDK 

grantees, especially postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty from diverse 

backgrounds.

Funding History*

FY 2024 President’s Budget 

Request (in millions): $2,303

*excludes mandatory T1D funding

FY 2022 Funding Support

www.niddk.nih.gov

Introduction to NIDDK Research

Established in 1950, NIDDK supports and conducts research on

some of the most chronic, common, and costly conditions, 

including diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases,

liver and other digestive diseases, obesity, kidney diseases, 

urologic diseases, and hematologic (blood) diseases. The

Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases program; the 

Digestive Diseases and Nutrition program; the Kidney, Urologic, 

and Hematologic Diseases program; and the NIDDK Intramural 

Research Program support basic, clinical, and translational 

research across the United States. NIDDK also supports 

research training and career development, as well as outreach 

efforts to patients, healthcare providers, and the public.
Selected Current Activities

NIDDK is supporting the Rare and Atypical Diabetes Network that could yield insight not only into rare forms of

diabetes, but also into the heterogeneity of type 2 diabetes.

The Human Pancreas Analysis Program is analyzing pancreata from people with and without diabetes at various stages 

of disease progression, making the data available to the research community, and providing knowledge to inform new

strategies to reverse or prevent disease.

The Physiology of the Weight Reduced State Clinical Trial Consortium is gaining insights into the causes of individual 

variability in maintenance of reduced weight over time.

The Liver Cirrhosis Network is conducting research toward transforming clinical care for liver cirrhosis by identifying

potentially effective treatment options beyond liver transplantation.

The Hemodialysis Opioid Prescription Effort Consortium is developing interventions to reduce opioid use in people on 

hemodialysis.

NIDDK Recent Advances and 

Emerging Opportunities 

NIDDK at a Glance Selected Recent Accomplishments 

A preliminary clinical study found that the

oral medication verapamil may help

preserve pancreatic insulin-producing beta 

cell health in people newly diagnosed with 

type 1 diabetes.

Researchers have discovered that a 

molecule produced during exercise by 

various mammals, including people, can 

reduce food consumption and obesity in 

mice.

Studies provided valuable insights into the 

gut microbiome, including how different 

types of fiber have specific effects on the 

microbiome and human health, and how the 

microbiome could keep the gut’s immune 

system in check to prevent inflammation.

A recentstudy showed that an intervention 

that teaches first-time parents how to 

interact constructively with their infant can 

be an important and effective childhood 

obesity prevention strategy for secondborn siblings as well.

A study in mice showed that kidney

damage caused by autosomal dominant 

polycystic kidney disease can largely be 

reversed by activating the normal version of 

a faulty gene.

Number of 

FTE Employees:

651

4-year average,

FYs 2019-2022

2022 Research Project Grants*

Funded Principal 

Investigators: 

828

Competing 

Applications 

Awarded: 

641

NIDDK Recent Advances and 

Emerging Opportunities is an 

annual compendium that 

highlights recent advances from 

NIDDK-supported studies, along 

with personal stories of people 

who have given time and effort to 

participate in NIDDK-sponsored 

clinical research.

niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/strategicplans-reports

*excludes mandatory T1D funding

2022 Paylines and Early Stage 

Investigators (ESIs*)

R01 Payline: 16%

ESI Payline: 25%

ESI Renewal Payline: 19%

Number of ESIs: 102

*excludes new investigators who are not ESIs

Selected Future Research Initiatives

New clinical studies will aim to understand the 

increasing rates of new-onset diabetes in adults and 

children following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Research will characterize interactions between 

different pancreatic functions, shedding new light on 

type 1 diabetes progression and potential innovative 

approaches for therapy.

Studies will focus on identifying genes and their variants 

that play a role in IBD and understanding how they 

influence disease, so potential treatments can be 

developed.

A clinical study in children with Crohn’s disease will aim 

to link pre-treatment characteristics and the ability to 

achieve complete healing after one year of anti-TNF 

therapy.

The next phase of the George M. O’Brien Kidney 

Centers will create innovation hubs to develop new and 

improved resources to advance kidney research.

Recent NIDDK Research Highlights

Type 2 diabetes medications made possible by NIDDK 

research provided cardiovascular health benefits in people 

with diabetes, and one of these drugs was also recently 

approved as a treatment for obesity.

Important findings are shedding new light on prevention 

and therapeutic strategies for diabetic foot ulcers and set 

the stage for further clinical studies.

Recent studies on inflammatory bowel disease have dug 

deeper into the genetics of the disease in diverse 

populations, offering potential pathways to better 

diagnosis and treatment.

A treatment for Alagille syndrome, a pediatric liver disease, 

was recently approved by the FDA based in a large part on 

research by NIDDK’s Childhood Liver Disease Research 

Network.

Researchers found that people with kidney stones have a 

lower chance of relapse afterstone removal when smaller, 

asymptomatic stones are removed during the surgery as 

well.

www.niddk.nih.gov