NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee (BSSR-CC) Open Meeting

August 2, 2024, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. ET

2024 NIH OBSSR Director’s Webinar Series with Emily Wang, M.D., M.A.S.

September 17, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

Biden Administration Announces $27.5 Million in Funding Opportunities to Enhance Women’s Behavioral Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has pledged $27.5 million worth of funding opportunities to research programs aimed at improving women’s behavioral health across the United States. This significant investment underscores the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing the unique mental health and substance use treatment needs of women.

The funding opportunities will expand access to women’s behavioral health services and enhance the capacity of providers to identify and address mental health conditions, substance use, and gender-based violence.

NIH Common Fund Is Soliciting Ideas for NIH-wide Challenges and Opportunities

NIH wants to hear your ideas about NIH-wide challenges and opportunities in biomedical and behavioral research that may be of interest to the Common Fund.  The Common Fund would like community input on the following:   

1. A critical challenge or exciting emerging opportunity in biomedical/behavioral research   
2. Resources, tools, and knowledge that are needed to address the important challenge or opportunity
3. Scientific advancements or other factors that make addressing the important challenge or opportunity particularly timely

Responses must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. ET on August 10, 2024.  

New Funding to Resource-Limited Organizations for Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research

Building Partnerships and Broadening Perspectives to Advance ELSI Research (BBAER) is a new program developed by the National Human Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) ELSI Research Program. The program is considered a “limited competition,” whereby eligible applicants must be domestic organizations (located in the United States and its territories) that received less than $30 million per year in total NIH funding for the past three fiscal years. These organizations are underrepresented among those funded by NHGRI for ELSI research. Eligible applicants may propose partnerships with other organizations that may receive more than $30 million per year in NIH funding.

NHGRI will host a pre-application webinar on August 28, 2024, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET (registration is required). NHGRI staff will provide an overview of the BBAER Program’s purpose and goals, key application requirements, and eligibility information as described in RFA-HG-24-026.

Reissuance of Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) “Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health” (R01, R21, R03)

NCI intends to reissue the notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (DIRH). These include PAR-22-105 (R01 Clinical Trial Optional), PAR-22-106 (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), and PAR-22-109 (R21 Clinical Trial Optional), which expire on May 8, 2025.

The reissued NOFOs will be published on November 6, 2024, to ensure compliance with the new Simplified Review Framework (see NOT-OD-24-010) for applications submitted on or after January 25, 2025. The DIRH Program will continue without interruption, with grant applications accepted on the standard application due dates starting February 5, 2025.

Additionally, the reissued NOFOs will be accompanied by a notice of early expiration, setting a new expiration date of January 8, 2025. The new date ensures all applications are submitted to the reissued NOFOs and in compliance with the Simplified Review Framework policies.