The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) led the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) contribution to the International Human Genome Project, whose primary goal was the sequencing of the human genome. This project was successfully completed in April 2003. Now, the NHGRI's mission is focused on a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health, disease, and society. This document describes the NHGRI Health Disparities Strategic Plan, which reflects the overall goals of the NIH. NHGRI's specific research goals in this area are to: (1) advance our understanding of the development and progression of diseases that contribute to health disparities; (2) develop a detailed understanding of the heritable variation in the human genome; (3) develop robust strategies for identifying the genetic contributions to disease and drug response; (4) use newly acquired knowledge regarding genes and pathways as a basis for the development of new, targeted therapeutic approaches to diseases that contribute to health disparities; (5) investigate how genetic risk information is conveyed in clinical settings and how that information influences health strategies and behaviors; (6) advance our understanding of the relationships between genomics, race, and ethnicity, and the consequences of uncovering these relationships; (7) develop new or improved approaches for detecting and diagnosing the onset of diseases that contribute to health disparities; and (8) advance our understanding of the ethical, legal, and social implications of genome research and its role in understanding the causes of health disparities. This document presents the performance measures, outcome measures, and action plans for each of these eight research goals.