Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities

The purpose of this NIH grant is to encourage behavioral and social science research on the causes and solutions to health and disabilities disparities in the U. S. population. Health disparities between, on the one hand, racial/ethnic populations, lower socioeconomic classes, and rural residents and, on the other hand, the overall U.S. population are major public health concerns. Emphasis is placed on research in and among three broad areas of action: 1) public policy, 2) health care, and 3) disease/disability prevention. Particular attention is given to reducing health gaps among groups. Proposals that utilize an interdisciplinary approach, investigate multiple levels of analysis, incorporate a life-course perspective, and/or employ innovative methods such as system science or community-based participatory research are particularly encouraged.

Date due: May 11, 2010

Amount: Varies

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Social Network Analysis and Health (NIH)

Social networks are social structures comprised of nodes, which can be individuals, organizations, or even societies. In a social network, nodes are tied to each other based on a type of social relationship, such as friendship, kinship, sexual contact, or economic exchange. Social network analysis (SNA) is the measuring, mapping, analyzing, and interpretation of social network structures, the ties between nodes, and the flows that occur within and across networks. Information, disease pathogens, ideas, money, and many other things can flow across networks. The goal of this funding announcement is to advance the science of SNA in ways that will enhance its utility for understanding and addressing public health issues. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) calls for research with the potential to advance and expand the utility of SNA and methods in studies of health and disease. This FOA is not intended to encourage proposals on the development of intervention strategies that operate on social networks, but rather to strengthen basic science knowledge on which intervention strategies may later be based.

Social network analysis allows researchers to describe, integrate, and analyze spatial, mathematical, and substantive dimensions of the social structures formed as a result of ties formed between persons, organizations, or other types of nodes. Researchers can represent networks graphically, locate them spatially, and describe and analyze their properties mathematically. These spatial and mathematical relations (i.e., “networks”) can then be related to the content and quality of interpersonal ties, individual or group phenotypes and behaviors, and the well-being and dynamics of groups and communities. SNA can be used to yield more meaningful measures of social integration in studies focusing on individual outcomes and to investigate the social dynamics underlying community function and population health. SNA can be used to study the transmission of viral infections, behaviors, attitudes, information, or the diffusion of medical practices.

Date due: May 3, 2010 (Letter of intent); June 3, 2010 (Proposal)

Amount: varies

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Building Research Infrastructure and Capacity Grant for Undergraduate Institutions

The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) encourages grant applications from non-research intensive institutions that propose to build, strengthen and/or enhance the research infrastructure and research training capacity of their institution. Each NCMHD Building Research Infrastructure and Capacity (BRIC) grant application must have a plan to establish a research capacity-building infrastructure program. This plan must include benchmarks, for training students and developing a cadre of clinical, biomedical and behavioral research junior scientists who possess the skills, knowledge and abilities to engage in leading edge research that ultimately will contribute to reducing and eliminating health disparities in the United States.

Amount: $650,000/year

Due date: April 21, 2010 (Letter of intent); May 21, 2010 (Proposal)

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NIH Small Research Grants focusing on Childhood Obesity

The National Institute of Health (NIH) invites exploratory pilot/feasibility study and small clinical trial (R21) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to test novel home or family based interventions for the prevention or management of overweight in infancy and early childhood. Tested interventions can use behavioral (including dietary and physical activity), environmental, or other relevant approaches. Applications should focus on infants and young children (to age six years) and emphasize the role of home environment and the influence of family/extended family members and parents (including guardians/substantial care-providers) within the childs home environment. The direct goal of this initiative is to fund research that will advance knowledge for innovative approaches to the prevention or management of overweight in children less than 6 years of age, with potential for future research clinical trial applications either in the home or linked to a community setting. Research should consider the role of families in the initiation, support, and reinforcement of fundamental food and beverage consumption, physical activity practices, and sedentary behaviors. In addition it is of interest to elucidate various underlying behavioral determinants that are crucial to initiate or sustain changes in behaviors that impact energy balance. Research designs may include linkages with other settings (e.g., daycare, pre-school, or other community venues) or other care providers (e.g., health care providers or teachers) but must include infants or children less than age six years as the primary study participant along with parents, and/or other family members residing with the child. The overarching goal is to identify interventions that influence parent and child behaviors that contribute to inappropriate weight gain, and thereby improve subsequent health status in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood for which overweight is a known risk factor.

Amount: $200,000

Date due: May 7, 2010

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