About

Advancing healthcare innovation requires more than new technologies—it requires inclusive participation, representative data, and a workforce equipped to meet evolving needs.
Two young women in lab coats examining blood samples.

Mission & Vision

The Novartis U.S. Foundation and Novartis founded Beacon of Hope (BOH) in 2021 as a 10-year partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) aiming to advance effective, measurable solutions reducing barriers to accessing healthcare innovation and reimagining healthcare workforce pathways.

As part of this effort, the Novartis U.S. Foundation is supporting three Historically Black Medical Schools, focusing efforts on advancing representative clinical trials and validating data and AI approaches within their patient populations.

Leadership

Novartis U.S. Foundation

The mission of the Novartis U.S. Foundation is to improve health in underserved communities in the United States by creating innovative and sustainable solutions to expand access to healthcare and build trust within the healthcare system.
The Novartis Foundation

FHI 360

FHI 360 is a global organization that mobilizes research, resources and relationships so people everywhere have access to the opportunities they need to lead full and healthy lives. FHI 360 serves as the Coordinating Center for the Beacon of Hope, providing centralized leadership, strategy, and technical assistance to achieve BOH’s long term goals.
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Our Partners

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Impact

Over the past five years, Beacon of Hope has strengthened the capacity of Historically Black Medical Schools to conduct rigorous, community-centered clinical research. Through deep partnerships with HBCUs and industry leaders, the program is expanding access to medical innovation while building more inclusive pathways into the healthcare research workforce.

Our Three Long-term Goals

1

To build the CAPACITY of the Historically Black Medical Schools to become trusted providers of rigorous clinical trials

2

To increase ACCESS to medical innovation by establishing Historically Black Medical Schools as the connector between medical innovation and the communities they serve 

3

To develop new WORKFORCE pathways that train clinical and digital health research professionals

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