Expired PA-13-368: Research on the Health Determinants and Consequences of Violence and its Prevention, Particularly Firearm Violence (R03)

Part 1. Overview Information

Participating Organization(s)	National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Components of Participating Organizations	National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH)
Funding Opportunity Title	Research on the Health Determinants and Consequences of Violence and its Prevention, Particularly Firearm Violence (R03)
Activity Code	R03 Small Grant Program
Announcement Type	New
Related Notices	NOT-OD-16-004 - NIH & AHRQ Announce Upcoming Changes to Policies, Instructions and Forms for 2016 Grant Applications (November 18, 2015) NOT-OD-16-006 - Simplification of the Vertebrate Animals Section of NIH Grant Applications and Contract Proposals (November 18, 2015) NOT-OD-16-011 - Implementing Rigor and Transparency in NIH & AHRQ Research Grant Applications (November 18, 2015) June 4, 2014 - Notice NOT-14-074 supersedes instructions in Section III.3 regarding applications that are essentially the same.
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number	PA-13-368
Companion Funding Opportunity	PA-13-363, R01 Research Project Grant PA-13-369, R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grant
Number of Applications	See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)	93.273, 93.865, 93.279, 93.242, 93.307, 93.313
Funding Opportunity Purpose	This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) spans across the missions of several NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and Offices, and includes basic neuroscience and basic behavioral research, clinical and translational studies, intervention development at the individual, family and community level, efficacy trials of interventions based on evidence from basic and translational studies, and research to identify the best ways to disseminate and implement efficacious and evidence-based interventions in real-world settings. While this FOA covers all of the areas mentioned above, particular consideration will be given to applications that propose studies of the intersection that focus on the various types of violence (homicide, suicide, youth and gang-related, intimate partner) and firearms.

Key Dates

Posted Date	September 27, 2013
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)	January 16, 2014
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)	Not Applicable
Application Due Date(s)	Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
AIDS Application Due Date(s)	Standard AIDS dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
Scientific Merit Review	Standard dates apply
Advisory Council Review	Standard dates apply
Earliest Start Date	Standard dates apply
Expiration Date	January 8, 2017
Due Dates for E.O. 12372	Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background and Purpose

This funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to support research projects that will examine the etiology and consequences of violence as they relate to the health of individuals and communities. In addition, it will provide support for research projects that rigorously test the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions to prevent violence and its precursors, using strong empirical designs. Finally, it will support studies to enhance effective dissemination and implementation of evidence-based strategies into clinical and community settings.

For this FOA, violence is defined as The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. (World Report on Violence and Health, 2002).

While violence-related research has been ongoing at NIH for many years, a number of expert meetings and reports generated by scientific health policy and research organizations including the World Health Organization (2010; 2002), the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council (2003), the National Institutes of Health (2004), the National Academies of Science (2004, 2010, 2011, 2012a, 2012b), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009) and the National Institute of Justice (2011) have explicated the need for additional, comprehensive, and rigorously designed studies to advance understanding of the underlying behavioral, neural, and genetic mechanisms of violence; public health impacts (including individual and societal costs) of violence; the cognitive, behavioral, pharmacological, determinants of violence; risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and community level; the development and testing of safe, effective and cost effective interventions to reduce and/or prevent violence and its precursors, and the best strategies to increase adoption and implementation of evidence-based interventions. Further research is warranted in these areas as applied to all types of violence, particularly in the case of firearm violence, which has such high morbidity and mortality. At the request of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Institute of Medicine recently developed a proposed public health research agenda to improve knowledge of the causes of firearm violence, the interventions that prevent firearm violence, and strategies to minimize the public health burden of firearm violence (2013).

According to the World Health Organization (2010) violence is responsible for 1.6 million deaths annually worldwide. In the United States in 2009 almost 16,800 people were victims of homicide and an additional nearly 37,000 took their own life (CDC, 2009). In 2010, 11,078 individuals died by firearm homicide, while 19,932 died by firearm suicide (http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/10LCID_Violence_Related_Injury_Deaths_2010-a.pdf). For many more individuals experiencing or witnessing a violent event,, violence contributes to acute and chronic health and mental health consequences. A critical consideration for research and prevention is that violence occurs in different forms and at varying risk levels throughout the life course, with important implications for human development. It is important to distinguish between exposure to chronic violence and exposure to episodic violent events, as these affect health differently.

More than 50% of all suicides involve the use of a firearm and firearms were used in 44% of suicide deaths among persons under the age of 25 in 2010 (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2012). Research has shown that the risk of youth suicide increases in homes where firearms are kept unlocked and/or loaded . However, more consistent survey measurement approaches would allow for refined analyses that could enhance the understanding of the role of storage of firearms on mortality risk for all age groups .

Intimate partner violence can be fatal when a firearm is involved. Female homicide victimization rates have been significantly associated with firearm availability. The overall number of firearm homicides among intimates has fallen considerably during the past 30 years, but more should be understood about why this has happened and how this knowledge might inform new strategies to reduce firearm violence.

Scope

Several NIH ICs and components of the Office of the Director are participating in this FOA. The FOA supports studies that include the violence, injury and death that occur as a result of firearms, and the particular populations most affected by armed violence throughout the human lifespan. The scope of the FOA also includes, but is not limited to intimate partner violence, youth violence (including gang violence), and self-directed violence (suicide). The subject of this FOA spans across the missions of several NIH Institutes, Offices, and Centers (ICs) and includes basic neuroscience and basic behavioral research, clinical and translational studies, intervention development at the individual, family, and community level, efficacy trials of interventions based on evidence from basic and translational studies, and research to identify the best ways to disseminate and implement efficacious and evidence based interventions in real-world settings. While this FOA covers all of the areas mentioned above, particular consideration will be given to applications that propose studies of the intersection that focus on the various types of violence (homicide, suicide, youth and gang-related, intimate partner) and firearms.

Following are topic areas that are of particular interest to each IC.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

The NIAAA welcomes applications that explore the etiology, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related violence as described below.

Etiological studies, including those utilizing experimental (human laboratory), survey, modeling, and/or GIS research approaches that might:
- Elucidate the complex relationships between alcohol use and violence.
- Increase understanding of whether and how individual and environmental conditions, situations, and alcohol use may be causally connected to violence including intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault.
- Delineate significant associations between the locations of alcohol outlets and rates of violent and criminal events in surrounding areas.
- Investigate the role of alcohol use in attempted and completed suicides and firearm violence.
- Delineate the various processes including societal reactions, stigma, and psychological distress by which heavy drinking may be a consequence of victimization experience, including victimization that may begin as early as childhood.
Epidemiological studies that might:
- Elucidate the size, correlates, and trends in alcohol-related IPV.
- Determine whether the occurrence of alcohol-related violence is following the general downward trend in other forms of violence observed in recent decades.
Preventive intervention studies that might:
- Investigate the effects of legal and policy approaches to alcohol-related violence.
- Assess changes in observed alcohol-related violence as a result of implementation of a range of environmental-, community-, family- and school-level alcohol use prevention programs.
- Explore which of these various approaches to alcohol prevention are the most effective in limiting expressions of violence among individuals who use both alcohol and other drugs. As few preventive interventions that specifically address the role of alcohol use in IPV exist, the market for such interventions is great, extending from college campuses to military bases and beyond. Potential interventions for alcohol-related Violence Against Women (VAW) might be situated in hospital emergency rooms or other settings in which victimized and at-risk women are likely to appear, and may be aimed at perpetrators of VAW as well as at potential victims. Interventions to prevent alcohol-related violence may focus on the alcohol component of the problem, the violence component, or both simultaneously.
Focus on:
- Specific dimensions of the environment (e.g., bars) in which alcohol is distributed, sold, and consumed.
- Groups or individuals who are at elevated risk.
- Families, significant others or peer groups of persons who may be at increased risk.

Studies should be designed as to permit identification of mediating/ moderating factors that may reduce alcohol-related violence. Investigators are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to test or evaluate interventions that occur (or have occurred) "naturally" in the community or society, such as changes in laws, police monitoring, initiation/ enforcement of responsible beverage service, community-wide campaigns similar to those that have focused on reducing drunk driving, and changes in land use zoning laws. Alternatively, researchers may choose to design, develop, modify, or adapt the interventions that they plan to test. Prevention approaches might be applied universally, or aimed at targeted or indicated individuals.

Treatment proposals that might:
- Focus on the mechanisms by which treatment of alcohol dependent individuals using pharmacological or behavioral approaches might reduce displays of violence
- Explore the effects of intimate partner violence on the willingness to pursue substance abuse treatment/counseling
- Investigate how substance use treatment counselors might become more sensitive and responsive to the victimization histories of their clients.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

NICHD is interested in applications that explore short- and long-term consequences of child maltreatment, violence, and exposure to violence on the family and children. Applications may address, but not be limited to the following research objectives:

Research on the range and intensity of violence:
- The nature of violence exposure including the range, intensity and outcomes of violence exposure (e.g., from verbal aggression through homicide; physical injuries and disabilities).
- The range of behaviors involved (e.g., psychological control, threat of violence).
- The timing and patterning of exposure (e.g., age of onset, frequency of exposure, acute versus chronic episodes, coincidence with important developmental transitions).
- The severity of exposure and the child's degree of involvement (e.g., type of sensory input, such as directly seeing or hearing from another room, the child's reaction such as attempts to intervene and outcomes/consequences of these reactions ).
Research on the co-occurrence of violence and violence exposure:
- The co-occurrence of children’s exposure to these types of violence (e.g., domestic and community violence).
- The co-occurrence of violence exposure with other types of violence (e.g., child abuse, sibling abuse, bullying, violence against sexual and gender minority youth, gang violence).
- The co-occurrence of violence exposure with other risk factors (e.g., poverty, parental monitoring, military family status, parental substance abuse or displacement from the home).
Factors affecting child responses to violence:
- Biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors that affect child and adolescent responses to violence and violence exposure (e.g., child cognitions/attributions, family organization and relationships, parent mental health status, poverty, affluence, stress and stress disorders, school or community characteristics.
Research on prevention and intervention programs and services for children exposed to violence, including studies of:
- Children's contacts with formal (e.g., healthcare, mental health, educational, child protection, and criminal justice) and informal (e.g., relatives, neighbors, and religious and community groups) systems and consequences of these contacts for children and families.
- Emergency medical services to children exposed to and directly affected by violence.
- The impact and consequences of types of media exposure on child and adolescent mental health and behavioral outcomes.
- Knowledge and behaviors of health care providers or other service personnel that influence early detection of susceptibility and exposure to violence.
- Development and validation of biomarkers, indices or classificatory systems that aid health providers, teachers or other community members to recognize children exposed to violence or at risk for violence perpetration or victimization.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

High priority topics for NIDA include:

Research that examines the relationship of drug use and abuse to violence particularly focusing on child maltreatment, gang involvement, intimate partner violence (IPV), family violence, drug -related sexual assault, the justice system (including criminal justice, juvenile justice and drug courts), bullying and other violent behavior including the use of firearms.
Research to understand the genetic, epigenetic, neurobiological, and behavior basis of substance use related violence that could inform prevention, treatment and services delivery research including a focus on gender differences and health disparities. This may address drug use in general or the use of marijuana, prescription drugs, drug combinations, newly emerging drugs of abuse (including bath salts and other designer drugs ), and other specific drugs of abuse, particularly drugs showing escalated use or high prevalence of use in adolescents or other subpopulations (e.g., young adults, military personnel) .
Research on the role of co-morbid psychiatric and substance use disorders in relation to violence and risk for violence, victimization, and perpetration. Building on current studies to improve data collection including collecting data on possession, access and use of firearms, policies related to firearm access with co-occurring prevalence of violent and aggressive behavior and risk, developmental disorders, drug abuse and psychiatric disorder to assess the extent of the problem and inform the development of targeted prevention and treatment interventions.
Development and testing of interventions to prevent substance use/problems and substance use related risk behaviors among vulnerable populations at risk for victimization as well as children and youth who are exposed to maltreatment, violence, and victimization, including witnessing of firearm violence in their home settings and communities.
Research to examine structural and community factors associated with substance use and violence and development and testing of structural and community prevention interventions to prevent various forms of violence, including firearm violence.
Research to develop and test substance abuse treatment interventions for victims and perpetrators of violence, particularly those with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders, including interventions for victims of IPV.
Studies on development, testing and integration of evidence based interventions that address substance use and violence in health care settings.
Examination of the role of media, social media and new and emerging technologies (smart phones, video games) on substance use and violent behaviors and the use of social media and new/emerging technologies as a platform to deliver violence prevention and treatment interventions.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

The NIMH supports research across several Divisions that may be relevant to research as described in this FOA. NIMH will accept and consider funding applications focused solely on the intersection of mental illness and violence. Priority areas of interest are limited to:

Research to identify the mechanisms (e.g., biological, genetic, psychological, and behavioral) that give rise to, and the developmental and neurobiological trajectories that lead to, mental illness (e.g., posttraumatic, mood, and anxiety spectrum conditions) following exposure to violence (e.g., injury, mass trauma, IPV, etc) across the lifespan.
Research on the development and testing of strategies to prevent and treat the mental illness that may occur as the result of violence.
Research to develop and test strategies to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis such that individuals at-risk for serious mental illness are engaged in treatment as early as possible in order to reduce long term negative consequences of illness, including risk for violence (self- or other-directed).
Research to develop and test interventions during the psychosis prodrome period to reduce conversion to psychosis and reduce the long term negative consequences of serious mental illness, including risk for violence (self, or other directed).
Research to advance suicide prevention, including research that tests the immediate and longer term benefits of separating lethal means from suicidal individuals while considering what is most feasible in care systems (e.g., pediatric care; residential treatment), educational and justice institutions.

Applicants interested in submitting clinical trials are strongly encouraged to consult with Program Staff well in advance of a submission. Experimental medicine type trials (medication and psychosocial) for proof of concept efforts to demonstrate target engagement, safety, and early signs of efficacy will be viewed as high priority (see http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2012/experimental-medicine.shtml). Applications proposing clinical trials to evaluate interventions to prevent or treat mental illness associated with violence should specify which psychological constructs, neurocognitive operations, or biological variables (i.e., mechanisms") are thought to underlie the mental illness under investigation. Applicants must describe how the proposed intervention is expected to impact hypothesized mechanisms, and how this relationship will be measured. When relevant, investigators are encouraged to conceptualize their research using the constructs and units of analysis defined in the Research Domain Criteria framework (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-priorities/rdoc/index.shtm).

For additional information on NIMH interests, opportunities, and contacts see http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/organization/nimh-extramural-research-programs.shtml and http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/organization/extramural-programs-and-contacts-listed-by-division.shtml\.

For specific priorities pertaining to suicide prevention, see: http://actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org/task-force/research-prioritization.

Section II. Award Information

Funding Instrument	Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.
Application Types Allowed	New Resubmission Revision The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types.
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards	The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Award Budget	Direct costs of up to two $25,000 modules, or $50,000 per year, may be requested (i.e., a maximum of $100,000 over two years in four modules of $25,000 each).
Award Project Period	The total project period may not exceed 2 years.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions

Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

Hispanic-serving Institutions
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

Small Businesses
For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

State Governments
County Governments
City or Township Governments
Special District Governments
Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

Independent School Districts
Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
Regional Organizations

Foreign Institutions

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Required Registrations

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account and should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate an existing account with the applicant organization’s eRA Commons account. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:

To an RFA of an application that was submitted previously as an investigator-initiated application but not paid;
Of an investigator-initiated application that was originally submitted to an RFA but not paid; or
Of an application with a changed grant activity code.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Required and Optional Components

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, required and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

Instructions for Application Submission

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.

SF424(R&R) Cover