NIMHD是组成美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）的27个研究所和中心之一。它有着悠久的历史，从1990年开始作为办公室，后来在2000年被指定为中心。

NIMHD的使命是领导科学研究，以改善少数民族健康并消除健康差距。为了完成其使命，NIMHD计划，审查，协调和评估所有少数民族健康和健康差异的研究和活动;开展和支持少数群体健康和健康差异方面的研究;促进和支持多元化研究劳动力的培训;翻译和传播研究信息;并促进创新的合作和伙伴关系。

对生物因素的检查是了解疾病发展和进展的基础，并且传统上一直是少数群体健康和健康差异研究的重点。NIMHD一直是增加科学界对非生物因素的关注的领导者，例如与健康差异相关的社会经济学，政治，歧视，文化和环境。

在NIMHD的领导下，健康差异已成为一个公认的科学研究领域，从记录和调查受影响人群之间健康状况和风险因素的差异，发展到使用传统和非传统研究方法解决健康差异。

NIMHD投资于研究并促进合作和伙伴关系，以促进和支持循证科学，为实践和政策提供信息。其计划和举措在加强科学知识库和设计干预措施以改善健康结果以减少并最终导致消除健康差距方面提供了领先优势。

NIMHD is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It has a long history, starting as an office in 1990 and later designated as a center in 2000.

NIMHD's mission is to lead scientific research to improve minority health and eliminate health disparities. To fulfill its mission, the NIMHD program, review, coordinate, and evaluate research and activities on health and health disparities for all ethnic minorities; conducting and supporting research on minority health and health disparities; Promote and support the training of a diverse research workforce; translating and disseminating research information; and promote innovative collaborations and partnerships.

The examination of biological factors is fundamental to understanding disease development and progression and has traditionally been the focus of research on minority health and health disparities. NIMHD has been a leader in increasing the scientific community's focus on abiotic factors, such as socioeconomics, politics, discrimination, culture, and the environment associated with health disparities.

Under NIMHD's leadership, health disparities have become an accepted area of scientific research, evolving from documenting and investigating differences in health status and risk factors among affected populations to addressing health disparities using traditional and non-traditional research methods.

NIMHD invests in research and fosters collaborations and partnerships to promote and support evidence-based science and inform practice and policy. Its programs and initiatives provide a leading edge in strengthening the scientific knowledge base and designing interventions to improve health outcomes to reduce and ultimately lead to the elimination of health disparities.