NIH Releases New Sleep Research Agenda

The recently released 2021 NIH Sleep Research Plan (National Institutes of Health Sleep Research Plan | NHLBI, NIH) outlines five strategic goals and nine timely research opportunities to advance sleep and circadian biology research. Key features of the plan focus on studying sleep and circadian mechanisms that underlie health and disease, improving treatments to reduce risks associated with sleep deficiency, understanding the role of sleep in health disparities, and developing a diverse workforce to support this research.

The plan is based on a set of research needs and opportunities identified with input from researchers, public representatives, NIH workshop participants, and programmatic staff. The scientific recommendations are based on discussions with the Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board (SDRAB), members of the public attending SDRAB meetings, and representatives of NIH extramural programs participating in the NIH Sleep Research Coordinating Committee (SRCC).