NIH Seeks Revision Applications to Support Firearms Injury Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a Notice of Special Interest soliciting competitive revision applications to programs that could potentially include firearms injury and mortality prevention research. This notice comes in the wake of NIH receiving $12.5 million dollars for research studying firearms injury and mortality prevention in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Appropriations bill (see COSSA’s analysis). Like all federal agencies, NIH is legislatively restricted from using its funding for certain activities such as advocating for gun control policies, but is able to fund research topics aiming to understand the underlying risk factors and variables. Topics cited by the NIH notice as within the permitted scope of research include:
- Improving the ability to identify at-risk individuals for firearm injury and mortality;
- Developing healthcare procedures to accurately screen for risk of firearm injury and mortality;
- Understanding factors that are associated with firearm injury and mortality risk and resilience;
- Developing evidence-based interventions to address risk; and
- Assessing the public health and criminal justice systems’ approaches towards the reduction of firearm injury and mortality.
Revision applications will be accepted through May 15, 2020. More information is available on the NIH website.