The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications encouraging foundational research projects that seek to refine and test valid methods for characterizing preteen suicide risk and protective factors across multiple domains, and for operationalizing suicide thoughts and behavior (STBs) and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among preteen youth (ages 8-12). An emphasis is placed on the inclusion of sub-populations of youth that experience health disparities and may have been underrepresented in prior youth suicide research. Studies may focus on developing new or adapting developmentally and culturally appropriate methods for assessing and characterizing risk and protective factors, examining the acceptability and utility of existing assessment methods, evaluating the relevance of risk and protective factors for diverse preteen youth and their families, modeling risk-factor trajectories, and refining sampling strategies. The research projects funded through this announcement will participate in a research consortium with other R01 recipients. In addition, each research site will work with the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) site (supported by a companion announcement) to share and analyze data, recommend candidate measures that will be included as common data elements in future research and practice contexts,and identify optimal approaches for sampling individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. This Notice of Intent to Publish (NOITP) is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects, and to consult with NIH in order to submit responsive applications. The NOFO is expected to be published in Summer 2023, with an expected application due date in Fall 2023. This NOFO will utilize the R01 activity code. Details of the planned NOFO are provided below.
