Last month, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to support research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its response on behavior and health-related outcomes, with an emphasis on underserved and vulnerable populations. Through this FOA, the NIH expects to fund 5-6 research projects across one of the six participating NIH Institutes/Centers. Projects may investigate a wide range of topics, such as the effects of COVID-19-related economic disruption, the impact of public health interventions, access to telehealth, or others.
This FOA solicits applications for individual population research projects. However, funded applications will be cooperative awards, and awardees will be expected to coordinate research activities and data harmonization efforts with the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research on COVID-19 Consortium Coordination Center (SBECCC). The SBECCC is not intended to be a common hub for data storage or sharing, but rather to create opportunities for efficient data access and sharing across different Consortium projects.
For projects on mental health, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will place a priority on research into pandemic-related changes in financing, delivery, receipt, and outcomes of mental health care. Interested applicants should consult with NIMH in advance for technical assistance.
SPG’s summary is attached. The full FOA is available here. There will be two rounds of applications. The first round is due on June 9th, and the second round on November 8th.