Funding Opportunities: Center for Suicide Research and Prevention

The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) is a multidisciplinary, practice-based center aimed at advancing and implementing innovative new suicide prevention research. It will support the development, deployment, and evaluation of practice-ready and clinically-focused interventions aimed at improving the identification and effective treatment of patients at risk of suicide. CSRP is launching the Collaborating Scholars Program in order to support innovative early career and advanced investigators with an interest in suicide research.

The CSRP Scholars Program will support both Emerging Scholars and Advanced Scholars.

• Emerging Scholars are residents, postdoctoral fellows, or graduate students.
  • They will have a mentored research training experience, with guidance from a CSRP faculty mentorship team.
• Advanced Scholars are faculty members with the rank of Instructor or higher. This may include researchers who might not be currently focused on suicide prevention, but can offer complementary research perspectives/methods to advance suicide prevention science.
  • They will collaborate with one or more CSRP faculty to pursue suicide-related research projects, formulate new collaborative proposals, and enhance the scientific diversity of the CSRP community.

Scholars will be invited to attend and speak at CSRP activities (e.g., conferences, seminars). Scholars will have extensive opportunities to network, build relationships, and collaborate with a growing community of researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders. After the period of CSRP support, they will be invited to continue their affiliation with the Center and participate in Center activities and projects.

Recipients will be selected by the CSRP Training and Workforce Development Committee and will receive up to $50,000 in salary support for one (1) year and are expected to submit one application to the CSRP Pilot Grant Program during their period of support. Salary support is based on the applicant’s home institution salary cap. Emerging scholars will be required to complete an initial Individual Development Plan (IDP) by the end of month 2 to ensure that goals are aligned with the Center’s priorities.

Eligibility:

• Applicants are required to have a Mass General Brigham or Harvard affiliation.
• U.S. citizens and noncitizens with a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are eligible to apply.
• Women and those underrepresented in medicine (URiM) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Review Criteria:

Applications will be considered based on:

• Demonstrated interest in suicide-related research;
• Scholarship, including record of publications and funding;
• Diversity of background and research approach;
• Alignment with CSRP mission and goals.

Additional Criteria for Emerging Scholars:

• Quality of recommendation,
• Capacity for future growth and leadership potential,
• Compatibility of research interests with available mentorship and data resources.

For Emerging Scholars:

1. Statement of background, research interests/experience, training goals, and long-term career goals (2 page max);
2. Proposed mentor(s), description of planned research project (including specific aims, background/significance, research approach, and timeline) (2 page max).

For Advanced Scholars:

1. Statement of background, experience, and interest in suicide-related research (2 page max);
2. Proposed collaboration, research plan, and timeline (2 page max).

For ALL applicants:

1. A NIH-style biosketch.
2. Other support: NIH Other Support pages or comparable description of current and pending funding sources.
3. Budget and budget justification
4. One letter of recommendation commenting on the applicant’s qualifications and proposal. This letter cannot come from the proposed mentor or collaborator.
5. One signed attestation from the proposed CSRP mentor (for Emerging Scholars) or collaborator (for Advanced Scholars). Applicants must reach out to potential mentors or collaborators to ensure they are accepting mentees.

Applicants should apply by utilizing this REDCap application survey.

Due Date: Applications will be accepted until 5:00 pm ET February 15, 2024, for the funding period starting June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025.

Questions can be directed to the CSRP email: mghCSRP@mgb.org.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

The NIH’s newest practice-based center for suicide research, the Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, is a multidisciplinary center aimed at advancing and implementing innovative research. In alignment with the NIH’s requirement for practice-based centers to provide opportunities for funded research and the CSRP’s goal to support burgeoning research in suicide prediction and prevention, the CSRP is now accepting applications for pilot grant funding.

The CSRP Pilot Grant Program will support the development, deployment, and evaluation of practice-ready and clinically focused interventions aimed at improving the identification and effective treatment of persons at risk of suicide.

This year, we particularly welcome applications that address the following areas that are priorities for equitable implementation of suicide prevention efforts:

(1) Equity/Disparity 
(2) Implementation Science
(3) Ethics/Algorithmic Bias

• Early career investigators with no previous funding and investigators without current funding focused on research in the area of suicide are encouraged to apply.
• Women and investigators underrepresented in medicine (URiM) are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Applications representing new interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g., data science and implementation science) are encouraged to apply.

Selected projects will receive $50,000 to advance their research for one (1) year. Funds can be used flexibly to support salary or research costs. Recipients will be responsible for providing a milestone report at 6 months and a final report at 12 months.

There may be opportunities for administrative, methods design and analytic support through the CSRP Administrative and Method Cores.

Eligibility:

• U.S. citizens and noncitizens with a social security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are eligible to apply.
• Priority will be given to trainees and emerging scholars.
• Applicants are required to have a Mass General Brigham or Harvard affiliation.

Review Criteria:

Applications will be considered based on:

• Alignment with the CSRP mission and goals.
• Standard NIH grant ranking system, emphasizing:
  • Feasibility
  • Innovation
  • Rigor and reproducibility
  • Potential for enabling further funded research in practice-based suicide prevention
• Focus on equity/disparity, implementation science, and or ethics/algorithmic bias in the space of suicide research.

1. A cover letter including a description of how the CSRP Pilot Grant Program will fit into the applicant’s future career plans.
2. A NIH-style biosketch.
3. Research Plan/Project (3-page max, excluding references), including:
   1. project title;
   2. specific aims; background/significance, research design and methods;
   3. timeline for completing the project during the year;
   4. references.
4. Budget and budget justification (1-page max).
5. Applicants must demonstrate or have Principal Investigator (PI) privileges to receive the award (form required).
6. Optional: one letter of support commenting on the applicant’s qualifications and proposal. All recommendation letters must be submitted with:
   1. Institutional/affiliation/organizational letter head,
   2. recommender's signature, and
   3. in PDF format.

Applicants should apply by utilizing this REDCap application survey. 

Due Date: Applications will be accepted until 5:00 pm ET February 15, 2024, for the funding period starting June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025.

For other questions, please refer to the FAQ section below. All other inquiries can be directed to the CSRP email: mghCSRP@mgb.org.

The deadline for applications is February 15, 2024. Final decisions will be made on or after March 15, 2024.

Demographic information is optional. The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) will not penalize applicants based on disclosure (or lack thereof) of demographic information.

We provide templates here, through the CSRP Dropbox. Please email mghCSRP@mgb.org if you are unable to access these documents.

The NIH provides a comprehensive guideline on creating a biosketch here. Please reach out via email if you are unable to access the website or require further elaboration.

The indirect cost rate (IDC) is 67%. This cost is covered by the Center for Suicide Research and Prevention, and will not subtract from the $50,000 to be awarded.

There is no effort requirement for the Pilot Grant Program. For scholars, the effort funded will be based on the home institution’s base salary.

Yes! Any applicants with a strong interest in suicide prevention are encouraged to apply. Applicants with complementary experience that could potentially enhance suicide prevention science are also encouraged to apply.

Yes, all scholars must be a doctoral-level graduate student or above.

A signed attestation is a form that your proposed CSRP mentor/collaborator will complete upon submission of your application. Please ensure that you have communicated with the CSRP faculty member prior to completing your application.

Prior to submitting the application, applicants should reach out to the CSRP faculty member they are interested in working with. CSRP faculty will discuss the potential collaboration and, if interests align, agree to serve as a mentor/collaborator.

An automated email requesting faculty attestation will be sent to the indicated CSRP faculty member after your application is submitted. Faculty members will then be asked to confirm that they have spoken with you regarding a mentorship/collaboration.

Advanced scholars are required to apply for a pilot grant during their year of funding in collaboration with their chosen CSRP faculty member(s). Emerging scholars are encouraged to submit a pilot grant with their mentorship team during their funding period.

This year, we are focusing on equity/disparity, implementation science, and ethics/algorithmic bias in suicide research.

Recommendations are optional. The CSRP will not penalize applications that do not have associated recommendation letters.

PI privileges are permissions from your institution/university to allow someone to serve as the main investigator on their research proposal.

Pathways to pursue PI privileges differ for every institution/university.

• Harvard Medical School
• Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS)
• Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH)
  • NOTE: Graduate students from HSPH are not permitted to serve as the PI on research grants outside of NIH F grants
• Mass General Brigham, see section titled “Exceptions”