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August 22, 2023
Director's Voice Blog
OBSSR Welcomes Jane M. Simoni, Ph.D., as the New NIH Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences and Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. Dr. Simoni started on July 30th and is hitting the ground running. Her top priorities include hiring a deputy director and implementing her vision for behavioral and social sciences research. Jane is crafting the OBSSR Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which is expected to be published early next year.
News and Events
NIH OBSSR Director's Webinar: The Theoretical and Practical Importance of Advancing Health Equity
September 19, 2023, 2:00 - 3:00pm ET
Register: https://scgcorp.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_v8ehe3uLR3OM_YNIl8w99w#/registration
Presenter: Neil A. Lewis, Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communication and Social Behavior,
Cornell University
Overview: Health equity has become a hot topic over the past few years. The COVID-19 pandemic made salient just how separate and unequal the United States remains in modern life, and the consequences of that inequality for the health and wellbeing of individuals and broader collectives. In response, scientists, policymakers, and the broader public renewed their interest in (or became interested in the first time) what can be done to address these issues and improve health equity in our society. Although broad interest in health equity is relatively new, research on this topic is extensive—social scientists have been studying it for decades. In this talk, Dr. Lewis will discuss what we have learned (and what we still need to learn), the implications of that knowledge and how it is generated, and why the pursuit of health equity is important for advancing theories across the sciences, which has practical benefits for broader society.
NIDA Seminar: Indigenous Knowledge and Psychedelic Neuroscience
Friday, August 25, 2023, 3:00 - 4:30pm ET via Zoom
Register: https://nih.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_gYiH4g0SS_O5dU453H_oXg
Presenters: Andrea Gomez, Ph.D., University of California Berkeley
Bia Labate, Ph.D, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Overview: This virtual seminar series brings together two scholars from disparate fields to discuss how basic, translational, and clinical neuroscience research can inform, and be informed by, research on health disparities and health inequities. The Summer 2023 seminar will focus on how psychedelics investigators can acknowledge and honor the Indigenous roots of psychedelics research, and will feature Dr. Bia Labate (an anthropologist and advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in psychedelics research and policy) and Dr. Andrea Gomez (a psychedelics researcher and a Chicano and Laguna Pueblo Native who works to bring Indigenous expertise to neuroscience).
NCI Wants Your Bold Ideas to Advance Cancer Health Disparities
Embracing the Complexity: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Advance the Science of Cancer Health Disparities - Visioning Workshops
Join NCI for a series of three interactive workshops (Aug. 31, Sep. 6, and Sep. 8) as we explore unique research opportunities to address complexities and advance the science of cancer health disparities (CHD). The workshops build on feedback from a recent RFI and Listening Session in addition to the tremendous accomplishments in the field thus far.
You will collaboratively explore unique research opportunities that are best addressed by advancing new approaches that cut across disciplines. You’ll consider how to tackle the complex nature of CHD and accelerate progress towards equity in cancer research and control for all populations, both locally and globally. Traditional, non-traditional, lived experience, domestic and global perspectives are encouraged. *Cancer expertise is not required.
To ensure representation of diverse perspectives, please register and share widely with your networks by August 24, 2023: https://apply.knowinnovation.com/embracing-the-complexity/ .
NIH Institutional Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Biomedical and Behavioral Research Prize Competition
The NIH Institutional Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) prize competition is still accepting submissions. Eligible organizations are encouraged to apply for the prize which will recognize and reward biomedical and behavioral science institutions that have identified gaps in DEIA and designed, implemented, and evaluated interventions to address them.
The deadline to submit an entry is September 26, 2023.
Visit the Prize Competition website at nihdeiaprize.org for more information.
HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study
The HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study has launched. The HBCD Study is the largest long-term study of early brain and child development in the United States. This project, funded through a partnership of a dozen Institutes, Centers, and Offices of the National Institutes of Health , will enroll approximately 7,500 participating families from across the United States and follow them from pregnancy through early childhood. The HBCD Research Consortium consists of an Administrative Core, a Data Coordinating Center, and 27 research sites across the country.
2023 NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival (Virtual)
Save-the-date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023
The Annual NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Festival will be hosted by OBSSR and the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee. The purpose of the festival is to highlight recently funded behavioral and social sciences research that the NIH supports; bring together behavioral and social scientists within the NIH extramural and intramural communities to network with each other and share scientific ideas; and explore ways to advance behavioral and social sciences research.
The festival agenda and registration information will be available soon.
2023 NIH Understanding and Addressing the Health Impacts of Online Abuse and Harassment Workshop (Virtual)
Save-the-dates: Thursday, December 7 and Friday, December 8, 2023
As part of the White House Task Force to Address Online Abuse Harassment, OBSSR, NICHD, and other NIH ICOs are convening a two-day virtual scientific workshop to identify gaps and challenges in advancing the research agenda to understand and address online harassment and abuse. The workshop will include a mix of plenary talks, panel discussions, and potential breakout sessions.
The workshop agenda and registration information will be available soon.
Recently Published Funding Opportunities
NIH-DoD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory Pragmatic and/or Implementation Science Demonstration Projects ((UG3/UH3) Clinical Trial Required)
NOFO Number
RFA-AT-24-004
Key Dates
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): August 14, 2023
Expiration Date: September 14, 2023
Purpose
The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit UG3/UH3 phased cooperative agreement research applications to conduct efficient, large-scale pragmatic clinical trial and/or implementation science Demonstration Projects within the infrastructure of the NIH-DoD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory (PMC) on nonpharmacologic approaches to pain management and other comorbid conditions in U.S. Veterans, military personnel, and their families. The PMC established a Coordinating Center that provides national leadership and technical expertise for all aspects of health care system (HCS)-focused research including assistance to UG3/UH3 grant recipients.
ADVANCE Predoctoral T32 Training Program to Promote Diversity in Health Disparities Research, Preventive Interventions, and Methodology (T32, Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number
RFA-OD-23-018
Key Dates
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): September 30, 2023
Expiration Date: November 1, 2023
Purpose
The NIH Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) and participating Institutes, Centers, and Offices are soliciting T32 applications to train predoctoral scholars from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in prevention relevant fields, in three integrated areas: 1) health disparities/health equity research, 2) development and implementation of multi-level preventive interventions, and 3) methods for the design and analysis of studies to evaluate multi-level preventive interventions.
Translating Socioenvironmental Influences on Neurocognitive Development and Addiction Risk (TranSINDA) (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number
RFA-DA-24-019
Key Dates
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): October 10, 2023
Expiration Date: November 10, 2023
Purpose
The goal of this NOFO is to seek applications proposing a set of planning activities that will lay the groundwork for scientific projects aimed at using animal models and longitudinal research designs to elucidate mechanisms mediating the impact of the early-life social environment on neurobehavioral development and the risk for substance use disorders (SUD) and their comorbidities in adolescence and adulthood. This funding opportunity will support projects of limited scope focused on coordination of a multidisciplinary research team; development of the research framework, design, and approach; and activities that will establish feasibility, validity, and/or other technically qualifying results that, if successful, would support a competitive application for a larger-scale, definitive research project (e.g., R01).
NIH Blueprint and BRAIN Initiative Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (BP BRAIN-ENDURE) (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number
RFA-NS-24-014
Key Dates
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): January 15, 2024
Expiration Date: February 11, 2025
Purpose
The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.
NIH Brain Development Cohorts (NBDC) Biospecimen Access (X01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number
PAR-23-229
Key Dates
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): September 5, 2023
Expiration Date: May 6, 2026
Purpose
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) Study is the largest longitudinal study of brain development and child health in the U.S., collecting data from more than 11,000 children across the country beginning when they were 9-10 years old and continuing for a decade. In addition to behavioral assessments, youth undergo neuroimaging and provide biospecimens, including oral fluids for hormone analysis, urine and hair for substance use and exposure, deciduous teeth for environmental exposures, and blood for genetic analysis and metabolic and hematologic assays.
Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Firearm Injury Prevention in Community Healthcare Settings (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number
NOT-NR-23-014
Key Dates
Estimated Publication Date of Notice of Funding Opportunity: Fall 2023
Earliest Estimated Award Date: July 1, 2024
Purpose
The purpose of this notice is to inform the research community that the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Request for Applications (RFA) to advance research that reduces firearm injury and disparities through the development and evaluation of firearm injury primary prevention interventions leveraging community healthcare settings.