NIH Grants for Studying Emotional Well-Being

Funding supports networks studying emotions, life satisfaction, self-meaning, and more

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced new grant funding for research networks focusing on emotional well-being. These networks should focus on positive health outcomes across the lifespan, such as how to prevent and treat conditions of mental health symptoms, burnout, and stress in at-risk populations. More broadly, research enabled by these networks should further the scientific understanding of emotional well-being and ways that this research can help improve health.

Applications must propose networks that advance one to three high-priority research areas of special interest to NIH, which include:

(1) Ontology and measurement of emotional well-being

(2) Mechanistic research on the role of emotional well-being in health

(3) Biomarkers of emotional well-being

(4) Prevention research

(5) Technology for outcome measure development for mechanistic studies

(6) Development and validation of well-being measures

Grant proposals should contain activities that bring together leading researchers and scientists from across institutions and disciplines to develop priority areas for emotional well-being research. Grants should include plans for dissemination, pilot projects, collaboration, and articulation of milestones and progress evaluation.

Examples of network activities supported by this grant might include:

  • Meetings to develop novel research areas and interact on the development of infrastructure
  • Dissemination and outreach activities to draw researchers from relevant disciplines into the field
  • Educational activities such as intensive summer institutes, series of workshops and related network activities, advanced seminars on methodology, or short-term residential opportunities
  • Pilot projects to test and refine hypotheses generated through other network activities

Scientists interested in proposing a network to NIH should submit an optional letter of intent by March 22, 2020. Full applications are due April 22, 2020.

For more information about the “Emotional Well-Being: High Priority Research Networks” opportunity, visit the funding solicitation page.


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