Interviewer
Aaron Condon
Biography
Dr. Kinnard, following the receipt of his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology enlisted in the U.S. Army for three years. During his enlistment, he served as a research biologist in the Virus Department at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Upon being discharged, he joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a brief period conducting neurophysiology research on warm-blooded animals, primarily lower primates. Following this brief period, Dr. Kinnard earned his Ph.D. in neurophysiology from Georgetown University with the support of an NIH pre-doctoral fellowship. He then returned to NIH as a health scientist administrator (HSA) with the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR). Subsequently, he transferred to the VA Central Office, serving as Chief of Field Operations for Medical Research Service, where he oversaw VA research that was being conducted throughout the entire VA system including the 50 continental states and all U.S. territories. He then returned to NIH/NIDR as an HSA in the extramural programs. He later was selected to direct the Extramural Associates (EA) Program, a program designed to train representatives from women and minority institutions in the art of writing and managing successful research grant and research contract proposals for their respective institutions. After 11 years as Director of the EA Program, and after a total of 43 years of Federal service, Dr. Kinnard retired in 2006. For 10 additional years, he served as an adjunct professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of the District of Columbia. He continues to serve as a STEM consultant for women’s and underrepresented minority institutions and as a mentor to students from high school through graduate school.
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Date of Interview
Spring 5-16-2025
Keywords
NIDR, national institute of dental research, extramural associates program, veterans administration, black, NIH, racism, bias, workforce, research, diversity, minority community, biomedical, leadership, walter reed, georgetown
Disciplines
African American Studies | Digital Humanities | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Health Policy | History | History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Labor History | Oral History | Public History | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Social History | Social Justice
Recommended Citation
Kinnard, Matthew A. M.S., Ph.D., "Matthew Kinnard" (2025). We Are NIH Oral History Project. 2.
https://openspaces.unk.edu/nih-oh/2
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commons, Health Policy Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Labor History Commons, Oral History Commons, Public History Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Social History Commons, Social Justice Commons