Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)

Program Description

NIMHD supports research projects to improve:

• Understanding of the determinants of firearm injury.
• Identification of those at risk of firearm injury.
• Development and evaluation of innovative interventions to prevent firearm injury and mortality.
• Examination of approaches to improve the implementation of existing, evidence-based interventions to prevent firearm injury and mortality.

Scientific research is critical to understanding and preventing firearm violence. Research encouraged by this FOA is consistent with a broad public health approach to firearm injury and mortality prevention, including:

1. Identifying those at risk for firearm injury and mortality (both victims and persons responsible).
2. Development and evaluation of theoretically-grounded programs to prevent firearm injury and mortality.
3. Implementation research to explore the barriers and facilitators to support broader adoption of effective programs.

In addition to interventions delivered by healthcare providers and systems, this initiative encourages research in community settings, and that integrates individual, family, interpersonal, community, and structural or system (e.g., justice-involved persons or youth in detention, youth involved in child welfare, substance abuse courts) approaches to firearm injury and mortality prevention. Thus, development of cross-sector partnerships and/or integration across disparate databases may be necessary.

This FOA is comprehensive in its consideration of those at risk for victimization and/or persons responsible for firearm injuries across the lifespan and across sexual and gender identities, people with developmental disabilities or cognitive impairments (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease and its related dementias), comorbid conditions (e.g., psychiatric or substance use disorders), or other groups at higher risk such as pregnant and post-partum women, justice system involved individuals, veterans, and members of the military.

NIMHD invites applications that focus on populations that experience health disparities (who are often disproportionately impacted by firearm injury and mortality): specifically, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities. Projects are encouraged to encompass multiple domains (e.g., biological, behavioral, socio-cultural, environmental, physical environment, healthcare system) and multiple levels of influence (e.g., individual, interpersonal, community, societal) to understand and address health disparities (see the NIMHD Research Framework for more information). Please consult the PAR-21-192 FOA for more details on primary research topics.

NIH Guide No.: PAR-21-192

Page updated May 4, 2021