Recent research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) assessed trends from 2005 to 2017 in the prevalence of cannabis use and perceptions of risk associated with its use in the U.S. in people with and without depression. Cannabis is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the U.S. and globally. Heavy use of cannabis has been associated with psychiatric and substance use comorbidities, disability, and psychosocial and health problems. Previous research indicates that heavy cannabis use is both more common in people with depression and has potentially more negative outcomes compared with those without depression or other mental health conditions.
Read More
A recent study supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) linked recommended physical activity levels to a decreased risk of seven cancers. In the U.S., 1.7 million people are diagnosed with invasive cancer and more than 600,000 people a year die as a result of malignant diseases, highlighting the importance of cancer prevention. Physical activity has been associated with a lower risk of several cancers, however less is known about the nature of this relationship and amount of exercise required for this effect.
Learn More
In a recent publication, researchers funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the U.S. Fulbright Commission, and the Colombian government adapted tools from computational psychiatry and decision neuroscience to identify changes in decision-making processes in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) preceding opioid reuse. Opioid addiction is a major public health problem with drug overdose now the leading cause of unintentional death in the U.S. Despite the availability of evidence-based treatments, relapse and treatment dropout are common.
Go There Now
NIH OBSSR Position Opening (GS-12/13/14): Health Science Administrator (HSA)/Social and Behavioral Science Administrator (SBSA)
The NIH OBSSR seeks a social or behavioral scientist with expertise in basic research related to social processes and health to serve as a Health Science Administrator (HSA)/Social and Behavioral Science Administrator (SBSA). We are looking for applicants with research experience, and the energy, enthusiasm, and innovative thinking necessary to contribute to the behavioral and social science vision for the future. See the OBSSR Strategic Plan. This position requires an HSA/SBSA who has subject matter expertise on how social processes influence health decision making, self-management, lifestyle behaviors and/or other important health behaviors and outcomes. The HSA/SBSA will help to coordinate and accelerate innovative social science/social processes research across diseases and the lifespan. The HSA/SBSA will participate in and lead NIH-wide scientific meetings and initiatives and provide expert scientific guidance to the OBSSR Director as well as the internal and external behavioral and social science community. The HSA/SBSA will evaluate, plan, and coordinate high priority research opportunities that are NIH-wide in nature and are vital to achieving the mission of OBSSR and the NIH. Through coordination and liaison activities across NIH, the HSA/SBSA will enhance information exchange, integration, and coordination of social science research activities at the NIH. The applicant should have a doctoral degree in the behavioral or social sciences and research experience relevant to social processes and health. Desired qualifications include, but are not limited to:
- Strong project management skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to cultivate partnerships and maintain relationships at all levels across an organization to develop and implement program priorities.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with demonstrated ability to convey complex information to a variety of audiences.
Applicants must be U.S. Citizens and the position is subject to a background check. NIH is dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs. If you are ready for an exciting scientific opportunity and would like to know more about this position, please contact:
[email protected].
Applications will be accepted through the upcoming NIH Global HSA announcement on USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov.
Notice of Information: National Death Index Linkage Access for NIH-Supported Investigators
Beginning January 1, 2020, through an agreement between the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, (NCHS), NIH will reimburse the NCHS National Death Index (NDI) for the costs of NIH-supported investigators to link their research databases with the NDI for the research aims supported by the NIH. "NIH-supported investigators" refers to extramural investigators actively funded by the NIH, contract investigators working under an active contract with the NIH, and intramural researchers employed by the NIH. These NIH-supported investigators will be able to link their research data to the National Death Index (NDI) at no cost to the NIH supported investigator. NIH-supported investigators will continue to submit applications for NDI linkage as per current NDI procedures, and NDI will review and approve, or disapprove, these applications as per current NDI procedures.
Go There Now
NIA Position Openings: Branch Chief and Program Officers
NIA's
Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) is recruiting talented behavioral and social scientists to serve as program officers managing portfolios of innovative, aging-relevant, grant-supported research and research training. BSR offers a scientifically energizing and collegial environment with opportunities to develop research initiatives; cultivate a portfolio of grant-supported research; lead and participate in transdisciplinary research collaborations; and develop scientific programming (e.g., symposia, special journal issues, conferences, and workshops). Specifically, within the Population and Social Processes Branch (PSP) NIA is seeking an economist/health services researcher to manage and develop a portfolio in health systems topics in aging and health. Within the Individual Behavioral Processes Branch (IBP) NIA is seeking a psychological or behavioral scientist to manage and develop a portfolio on psychological development and integrative science. NIA is also seeking a senior behavioral or psychological scientist to serve as Chief of the Individual Behavioral Processes Branch (IBP). The Branch Chief will lead a talented group of professionals in fostering innovative grant-supported research and research training in basic and translational behavioral and biobehavioral science on life course development, adaptive aging, and Alzheimer’s disease. The official job announcements are expected to be posted on
www.usajobs.gov on January 21, 2020.
Applications must be submitted through that website by January 30, 2020, to be considered. Candidates must be U.S. citizens. To be notified of the posting, please send a request to Lyn Neil (
[email protected]). All inquiries will remain confidential.
Mixed Methods Training Program for the Health Sciences
The Mixed Methods Research Training Program for the Health Sciences is funded by OBSSR and administered by NIMH. Selected scholars will have access to webinars and resources and attend an in-person retreat to discuss their research project and will be matched with mixed methods expert consultants. This program has reported results in three peer-reviewed publications. Mixed methods research is defined as the collection, analysis, and integration of both quantitative (e.g., RCT outcome) data and qualitative (e.g., observations, interviews) data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a research problem than might be obtained through quantitative or qualitative research alone. Typical applications of mixed methods in the health sciences involve adding qualitative interviews to follow up on the outcomes of intervention trials, gathering both quantitative and qualitative data to assess patient reactions to a program implemented in a community health setting, or using qualitative data to explain the mechanism of a study correlating behavioral and social factors to specific health outcomes. Applications are due by Monday January 20, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Go There Now
NIH Matilda White Riley Early Stage Investigator Paper Competition
The submission period is now open for the NIH Matilda White Riley Early Stage Investigator (ESI, within 10 years of their terminal degree) paper competition. OBSSR will pay the travel expenses for up to four ESI honorees to present the findings from their accepted paper and participate in a moderated discussion of future research possibilities at the
13th NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Honors on Monday, June 8, 2020. This competition recognizes emerging scientists whose research reflects Dr. Matilda White Riley’s vision of research excellence in health-related behavioral and social sciences. More information about the paper competition can be found at the link below. OBSSR encourages you to share this information with your grantees.
The submission deadline is Saturday, January 25, 2020, at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.
Learn More
2020 Institute for Implementation Science Scholars (IS-2)
The
Institute for Implementation Science Scholars (IS-2) at Washington University in St. Louis, funded by OBSSR and ODP and administered by NIDDK, is a mentored training program for faculty interested in applying dissemination and implementation (D&I) methods to proven behavioral and social science research (BSSR) to eliminate chronic disease disparities. Scholars should be early career researchers or mid-career scholars who want to pursue D&I research in chronic disease prevention. Individuals from a range of disciplines, institutions, and geography are encouraged to apply. This innovative program will place a strong emphasis on mentoring, applying competencies and curriculum specifically focused on chronic disease disparities, and working with a diverse set of partners. Scholars are enrolled in the program for two years. Key IS-2 activities include:
- Summer Institute in St. Louis, MO (June 21-26, 2020; June 2021): The on-site Summer Institute will bring together expert faculty and scholars in a 5-day active learning environment informed by previous training programs, core D&I competencies and training needs.
- Ongoing Mentorship: Following on-site training, scholars will engage in regular and ongoing mentoring and networking activities
Applications are due by Wednesday, January 29, 2020 (9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET).
Read More
Call for Applications: FIC 2020 Stigma Research Training Institute
CRDF Global is accepting applications on behalf of the NIH Fogarty International Center for a four-day Stigma Research Training Institute at the NIH main campus in Bethesda, Maryland on June 8-11, 2020. Fogarty’s Center for Global Health Studies is hosting a short-term training to promote transdisciplinary and novel health-related stigma research methods to a cohort of researchers from diverse fields to strengthen research capacity in this area. Participation in this Institute is by application only and we expect to accept up to 40 of scholars from the applicant pool. Accepted trainees will receive travel scholarships, inclusive of airfare, accommodation, and per diem to subsidize their attendance. Eligible applicants include early- to mid-career investigators conducting health-related stigma research, and are affiliated with a U.S. or Low- and Middle-Income (LMIC) institution.
All proposals must be submitted electronically through CRDF Global’s Electronic Proposal Submission (EPS) website, no later than February 10, 2020, 23:59 ET.
Learn More
2020 Annual Summer Institute on Randomized Behavioral Clinical Trials
OBSSR, in collaboration with NHLBI, will hold the 20th Annual Summer Institute on Randomized Behavioral Clinical Trials, July 19-27, 2020, at the Bolger Center in Potomac, Maryland. The Summer Institute provides an intermediate/advanced course in planning, designing, and conducting high-impact randomized controlled trials of health-related behavioral interventions. It emphasizes programmatic research and prepares fellows to lead or collaborate on rigorous, high-impact behavioral trials and on systematic efforts to develop and improve health-related behavioral interventions.
The application deadline is February 15, 2020.
Read More
2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan
The Department of Health and Human Services, led by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), released the draft 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (plan) for public comment. This plan, which was developed in collaboration with over 25 federal organizations, is intended to guide federal health information technology (IT) activities. The plan’s goals are deliberately outcomes-driven, with objectives and strategies focused on using health IT as a catalyst to empower patients, lower costs, deliver high-quality care, and improve health for individuals, families, and communities. ONC and its federal partners have taken and will continue to take steps to ensure that stakeholders in the healthcare sector benefit from the electronic access, exchange, and use of health information. Specifically, this plan explains how the federal government intends to use health IT to:
- Promote Health and Wellness;
- Enhance the Delivery and Experience of Care;
- Build a Secure, Data-Driven Culture to Accelerate Research and Innovation; and
- Connect Health Care and Health Data through an Interoperable Health IT Infrastructure.
ONC encourages review and comments on the draft plan. Comments will be accepted electronically at the link below. Attachments should be in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF format.
The comment period is open for 60 days and the deadline for submission is March 18, 2020, at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.
Read More
Learning from the Transfer of HIV Interventions from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to the United States: Informing the Plan for America to End the HIV Epidemic
Notice Number: NOT-TW-19-008
Response Date: February 15, 2020
We are soliciting examples of interventions in HIV prevention, care or treatment that were developed in LMICs and have been transferred and attempted to be implemented in the U.S. This could include both successful and unsuccessful cases. We are also interested in interventions that have not yet been transferred from LMICs to the U.S. but could potentially be transferred to help curb the HIV epidemic, with a particular focus on the geographic hotspots identified by HHS (REF). Though we are most interested in examples from the HIV field, we are also seeking information about LMIC to U.S. intervention transfers from other disease areas, as we believe much can be learned from a wide range of examples. We request information about how healthcare interventions have been transferred and implemented in the past, and what the role (if any) research has played in the adaptation and implementation process. We would like to know about the barriers and facilitators to this process and whether there are lessons learned that we can translate into a more systematic methodology, for example by utilizing implementation science.
View NOT-TW-19-008
Request for Information (RFI): ClinicalTrials.gov Modernization
Notice Number: NOT-LM-20-003
Response Date: March 14, 2020
The purpose of this Request for Information is to solicit public input to guide the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in planning infrastructure enhancements aimed at users and submitters of ClinicalTrials.gov as part of a multi-year modernization initiative. NLM is embarking on a modernization initiative to update the technological infrastructure underlying ClinicalTrials.gov, enhance its public-facing components, and deliver a modern user experience with a platform and services that continue to accommodate growth and enhance efficiency. We aim to gather information to help maximize the value of ClinicalTrials.gov to its many users, while continuing to provide essential services to support existing legal and policy requirements. This RFI is not intended to modify existing legal and policy requirements for clinical trial registration and results reporting. NLM will host a public meeting on April 30, 2020, to provide an open forum for further eliciting detailed input on topics of interest identified in responses received through this RFI.
View NOT-LM-20-003
Notice of Special Interest: Administrative Supplement for Research on Bioethical Issues (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
Notice Number: NOT-OD-20-038
Expiration Date: March 20, 2020
The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) within the Office of the Director (OD) announces the availability of administrative supplements to support research on bioethical issues to develop an evidence base that may inform future policy directions. Applicants may propose to supplement parent awards focused on bioethics or to add a component related to bioethics to a parent award in which bioethics was not the focus. Note that applications must be within the general scope of the parent award. All applications to this funding opportunity announcement should fall within the mission of the Institutes/Centers. The following NIH Offices may co-fund applications assigned to those Institutes/Centers: the Office for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), the Office for Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), the Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO), and the Tribal Health Research Office (THRO).
View NOT-OD-20-038
