Emergency Award: Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research on COVID-19 Consortium (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Pandemic mitigation and social distancing measures implemented across the United States in response to Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) have had immediate effects on communities. This includes increased social isolation, reduced mobility and transportation, and historic levels of involuntary unemployment and resultant financial strain. Research is needed to understand the net health and mortality impacts of these mitigation strategies and their economic side effects.

NIMHD supports applications for individual population research projects that will be linked to a Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research on COVID-19 Consortium Coordination Center (SBECCC). Research to understand the health impacts of coronavirus mitigation strategies and the mechanisms that may convey risk and resilience will help improve long-term responses to the pandemic and prepare more effectively for the next public health emergency.

These efforts will be enhanced if researchers have access to integrated and established behavioral, economic, and public health datasets. The SBECCC goal is to work with consortium investigators to apply recommended COVID-19 common data constructs or develop new ones, as necessary, to enhance comparability of data, promote collaboration among studies, and help other researchers discover and use Consortium data to advance social, behavioral, and economic research on COVID-19.

NIH seeks applications that leverage existing data sets with wide population coverage to examine the efficacy of COVID-19 mitigation efforts, as well as the impact of these mitigation efforts, on subsequent economic disruption and on multiple health-related outcomes. NIMHD projects must include a focus on one or more underserved NIH-designated populations experiencing health disparities and COVID-19 vulnerable* population. Applicants are expected to obtain data from various sources (federal, state, private, public sources) and at multiple levels (i.e., contextual, institutional, individual) to conduct the proposed research aims. Investigators should propose their own relevant research activities, which can include supplemental data collection, but should also be prepared to share data with other researchers to answer a broad range of research questions related to social, behavioral and economic factors and COVID-19.

A detailed data sharing plan is required. A complete list of objects and approaches can be found within the FOA.

*COVID-19 medically and/or socially vulnerable populations:
Residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities; community-dwelling older adults; individuals with intellectual, developmental, sensory, or physical disabilities, cognitive impairment or dementia, or communication disorders; homeless populations; individuals involved with the criminal or juvenile justice systems (incarcerated or under community supervision); individuals with medical comorbidities known to increase risk of severe COVID-19, including heart failure and related cardiovascular conditions, diabetes mellitus, chronic lung disease, obesity, HIV/AIDS; pregnant and post-partum women; children and adolescents; individuals living in congregate housing such as shelters or residential treatment facilities; individuals in overcrowded or public housing; individuals with substance use disorders or serious mental illness; detainees in immigration detention centers; migrant and immigrant communities; residents of tribal lands or reservations; communities exposed to high rates of air pollution or other toxic exposures; and rural and remote communities.

NIH Guide No.: PAR-21-213

Page updated Jan. 12, 2024