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Federal Funding for Psychological Research

APA Services advocates for robust and predictable funding of psychological research at the federal science agencies.

Our focus

Fund federal research agencies, in particular the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the Departments of Defense, Education, Justice, and Veterans Affairs.
Unleash the power of science and data to respond to and recover from the mental health and substance use crises, especially to advance health equity
Engage with new research entities, such as the Advanced Projects Research Agency-Health (ARPA-H) and Technology Innovation and Partnerships Directorate at the National Science Foundation, to enable their support of psychological science research.
Diversify the scientific workforce through federal peer review, training, and other programs.

Our efforts on this issue advance the following advocacy priorities:

Funding and promotion of basic, clinical, and applied psychological research
Human rights and racial equity
Science infrastructure and regulatory environment
Substance use disorders
Violence and suicide prevention

Advocating to fund federal research agencies

Young man smiling at another conference member

National Science Foundation

A young woman talks to a mental health professional

National Institutes of Health

Federal funding is saving lives by reducing mental illness, and... our work is a high priority and essential to the health of our nation.
—Mitch Prinstein, PhD, APA Chief Science Officer

What you can do

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Related issues

Promoting and Defending Research

Contact us

Patricia Kobor
Deputy Chief for Scientific Affairs Advocacy
Email APA Advocacy Office

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More on federal funding for psychological research

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Last updated: June 2023Date created: October 2021