Better Together.

 

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development SM (ABCD) Study is the largest long-term study of brain development and adolescent health in the United States. Our collaborative research group collects and makes available data to understand and promote the health, well-being, and success of children and adolescents.

The ABCD consortium aspires to be anti-racist, inclusive, equitable, and diverse. To do so, we exercise humility, acknowledge limits of our knowledge, and strive to improve our understanding by listening to diverse perspectives and responding thoughtfully. We continue to educate ourselves about the ways discrimination and systemic oppression have shaped the scientific community, and collaborate with individuals and groups who have expertise in anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

We are committed to continuous and authentic improvement in the ABCD study to align our actions with our values, and are developing strategies to measure our progress towards the following:

  1. We welcome all people and voices.
    • We believe that diverse research communities are more innovative and better positioned to succeed and advance knowledge.
    • We seek input from and strive to ensure that all voices are heard, including community partners, participants/families, and ABCD study teams, and to create an environment in which people feel safe to share their perspectives.
    • We honor compassion, empathy, and mutual respect in our communications and address challenges and differences using guidelines that promote respectful, safe exchanges in a supportive and inclusive environment.
  2. We seek opportunities to accelerate diversity and equity within our consortium and strive to overcome barriers that have historically hindered progress.
    • We support the growth and development of all members of our study teams.
    • We respect the lives and autonomy of our study teams by carefully balancing the importance of gaining study data with the burden to those collecting data.
    • We actively seek ways to enhance the diversity of our research teams through student, RA, post-doc, and faculty mentoring and development.
  3. We regularly review our policies and procedures to remove barriers limiting equitable experiences for study participants.
    • We strive to ensure that our study efforts do no harm, with specific attention to the ways racial, ethnic, and gender identity groups have historically been marginalized in the United States.
    • We respect the lives and autonomy of our participants and work diligently to minimize the participation demands on families.
    • We communicate honestly and transparently with participants to ensure that they are fully informed about study procedures and that all of their questions are answered.

It is our deepest aspiration that ABCD study data will be utilized responsibly by scientists and key stakeholders around the globe and that scientific findings inform the development of just and equitable policies to elevate the quality of life of all youth.

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI)

To support ABCD’s work towards these values, consortium team members have assembled to form multiple working groups focused on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). To learn more about the overarching mission and goals of the consortium-wide JEDI efforts, click the following links to learn about the Advisory Council and Workgroups.