Search Grants — Free, No Account Required

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis

The purpose of this program is to strengthen recovery communities by expanding access to recovery support services (RSS), including peer recovery support services (PRSS), for individuals living with substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders (COD), including those in recovery.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis

Recovery Community Services Program - Statewide Network

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis

The purpose of this program is to strengthen recovery organizations, their statewide recovery networks, and healthcare systems to improve the delivery of recovery support services (RSS). This is accomplished through structured collaboration, systems improvement, public health messaging, and targeted training for key recovery partners.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY Over 1.4 million individuals in the United States are diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), the second most common type of degenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). LBD results in early impairments in cognitive abilities, along with bothersome neuropsychological and bodily symptoms such as visual hallucinations, parkinsonism, dysautonomia, and sleep disorders. Up to 80% of individuals with LBD receive care from family members, with nearly half of the caregivers' experiencing depression. Web-based and telehealth interventions for caregivers of individuals with dementia are promising solutions for reducing caregiver depression, paralleling the potential of traditional in-person approaches. Yet, most of the interventions generalize across all dementia forms without adaptations for LBD's distinct challenges. Accessibility of existing digital interventions is also limited by internet bandwidth and lower digital literacy in caregiving populations, perpetuating inequity and leaving them underserved. Our project aims to test the effectiveness of a fully asynchronous, low bandwidth, text-based psychoeducational online intervention tailored specifically for caregivers of individuals with LBD (VOCALE LBD). This intervention engages caregivers in moderated peer-to-peer discussions focused on LBD caregiving and problem-solving skills over an eight-week period. In a pilot study, the intervention showed promising results in reducing depressive symptoms among fifty-four LBD family caregivers age 68±10. Clinicians also uniformly agreed that the intervention is impactful, acceptable, and well-aligned with their strategic priorities, but they suggested strengthening its pragmatic potential by introducing practical measurements of the intervention's progress. We propose a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing VOCALE LBD to the standard of care (SOC) among 220 caregivers nationwide, recruited using Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) outreach. The primary outcome will be depressive symptoms at eight weeks post-enrollment. Secondary outcomes will include sustained effects on depressive symptoms at six months, and exploratory outcomes will assess caregiving burden, stress, social support, and loneliness. Additionally, we will evaluate the mechanisms influencing the intervention's effects, focusing on caregiver empowerment and problem-solving, and explore pragmatic approaches for monitoring the intervention's effectiveness through user engagement and user-generated data. Our project is aligned with national priorities to effectively leverage digital and telehealth solutions for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). We aim to create an evidence- based, equitable, and accessible solution for LBD caregivers, ensuring practical application and intervention fidelity. If successful, this project will lay a foundation for the next stage effectiveness research in clinics and community organizations.

National Institutes of Health

Purpose. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute on Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), solicits Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to conduct research to reduce health disparities among minority and underserved children. Specifically, this initiative focuses on ethnic and racial minority children and underserved populations of children such as: children from low literacy, rural and low-income populations, geographically isolated children, hearing and visually impaired children, physically or mentally disabled children, children of migrant workers, children from immigrant and refugee families, and language minority children. Specific targeted areas of research include biobehavioral studies that incorporate multiple factors that influence child health disparities such as biological (e.g., genetics, cellular, organ systems), lifestyle factors, environmental (physical and family environments), social (e.g., peer influences), economic, institutional, and cultural and family influences; studies that target the specific health promotion needs of children with a known illness and/or disability; and studies that test and evaluate the cost effectiveness of health promotion interventions conducted in nontraditional settings

National Institutes of Health

Purpose. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute on Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), solicits Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to conduct research to reduce health disparities among minority and underserved children. Specifically, this initiative focuses on ethnic and racial minority children and underserved populations of children such as: children from low literacy, rural and low-income populations, geographically isolated children, hearing and visually impaired children, physically or mentally disabled children, children of migrant workers, children from immigrant and refugee families, and language minority children. Specific targeted areas of research include biobehavioral studies that incorporate multiple factors that influence child health disparities such as biological (e.g., genetics, cellular, organ systems), lifestyle factors, environmental (physical and family environments), social (e.g., peer influences), economic, institutional, and cultural and family influences; studies that target the specific health promotion needs of children with a known illness and/or disability; and studies that test and evaluate the cost effectiveness of health promotion interventions conducted in nontraditional settings.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

Project Summary Autistic youth are at far higher risk for depression than their neurotypical peers, and depression symptoms have significant negative impacts on functioning and quality of life of autistic young people. Despite great need, there are currently no evidence-based interventions for depression in autistic youth. Informed by my reviews on depression in autistic individuals, I developed and piloted a manualized behavioral activation (BA) treatment for depression in autistic adolescents in a single-arm or open trial (n = 15), supported by funding from American Psychological Foundation. Notably, autistic youth depression symptoms significantly improved pre-treatment to post-treatment and 1-month follow-up. To further the aforementioned pilot work, this study will iteratively refine our previously developed BA treatment based on comprehensive feedback from vested community members and test the refined intervention in an initial randomized controlled trial (RCT) versus an enhanced treatment as usual (TAU) control condition; we will conduct this research project in partnership with a community advisory board comprised of autistic youth, caregivers of autistic youth, and autistic-serving mental health providers to ensure the treatment protocol is aligned with community needs and values. To refine BA treatment, we will seek feedback on previously developed BA manual/materials through a series of focus groups (3 groups comprised of caregivers, 3 groups comprised of providers) and individual interviews with autistic youth (12-17 years old) with depression. Following each round of individual interviews/focus groups, we will refine BA manual/materials (iterative revision). Subsequently, we will evaluate effects of refined BA intervention in an RCT versus enhanced TAU control condition; 60 autistic adolescents (12-17 years old) with clinically significant depression symptoms will be randomized. We will compare change in depression symptoms from pre- treatment to post-treatment and 1-month follow-up across groups. We will additionally examine change in engagement in enjoyable and values-aligned activities (or construct of BA) as a mechanism of action of reduction of depression after BA relative to TAU. We hypothesize that autistic youth in the manualized BA condition will exhibit greater depression symptom reduction than autistic youth in enhanced TAU, and increased enjoyable/values-aligned activities will mediate treatment response. Furthermore, we will investigate feasibility and acceptability of refined BA treatment. We will examine BA treatment session attendance, and we predict that ≥80% of participants randomized to BA will attend all sessions. Adolescents and caregivers will complete post-treatment acceptability/satisfaction surveys and qualitative interviews; and we hypothesize that manualized BA intervention will be rated as feasible, acceptable, and useful. The proposed research project, in addition to the proposed training plan, will logically connect my previous research experience to a future R01 submission of a fully-powered multisite RCT of manualized BA treatment and provide critical skills required for my transition to research independence in the field of community-engaged autism clinical trial research.

Administration for Children and Families - ACYF/CB

The Regional Partnership Grant (RPG) Program supports regional partnerships between child welfare, substance abuse treatment and juvenile or state courts. The goal is to support family-centered treatment programs and services for children who are in an out-of-home placement or are at risk of being placed in an out-of-home placement due to caregiver's substance abuse. Projects will also work to expand the scope of evidence-based services for families impacted by substance-use disorders. Projects are required to have regional partnerships with legislatively required partners, including a planning and implementation phase, to provide a cost-sharing match, and report on performance indicators. RPG funds may support family-based, comprehensive, long-term substance-use disorder treatment, including medication-assisted treatment and in-home substance-use disorder treatment and recovery services, as well as early intervention and prevention services, children and family counseling, mental health services, parenting skills training, and the replication of successful models for delivering family-based, comprehensive, long-term substance use disorder treatment services. This project is for one 60-month project period, comprised of five 12-month budget periods. It includes a Planning Phase and an Implementation Phase.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY Lifelong mental and physical health are seeded during infancy, with parent-infant interactions playing a pivotal role. Despite the critical importance of these early relationships, the neural circuits underlying infant-specific social behaviors remain largely unexplored. This project aims to elucidate these fundamental mechanisms by focusing on a population of somatostatin-expressing neurons in the infant mouse zona incerta (ZISST neurons) that we have identified as crucial for modulating infant responses to maternal presence. Based on our preliminary findings, we posit that ZISST neurons serve as an integrative brain node for the central representation of maternal presence (to be tested in Aim 1), which engages dedicated downstream neural circuits (to be tested in Aim 2) to guide maternal-dependent behavioral responses in the infant (to be tested in Aim 3). Specifically, aim 1 will determine the activity dynamics of ZISST neurons in preweaning mice in response to various maternal behaviors using fiber photometry and single-unit recordings. This will provide detailed insights into how maternal care modulates ZISST neuron activity at both the population and single-cell levels. Aim 2 will establish the functional connectivity of preweaning ZISST neurons and their recruitment by maternal presence through whole-brain mapping and projection-specific recordings. We will perform functional whole-brain mapping of activated (Fos+) neurons in infants under different conditions and use projection-specific expression of jGCaMP7s and fiber photometry to identify circuits that respond to maternal presence. These results will uncover target neural circuits from ZISST neurons that mediate the effects of maternal presence on infant social responses. Finally, aim 3 will leverage newly developed odor learning assays for preweaning mice to test the role of ZISST neurons in mediating the effects of maternal presence on different forms of aversive learning in infants, which rely on diverse sensory and central circuits. By testing the role of ZISST neurons in modulating aversive odor learning using both exteroceptive and interoceptive unconditioned stimuli, this aim will provide critical insights into how ZISST neurons influence learning processes that depend on maternal influence. Utilizing cutting-edge techniques in behavioral analysis, in vivo neural recordings, and neural circuit manipulation, this research will provide a comprehensive understanding of the physiological and anatomical mechanisms by which ZISST neurons mediate infant social behaviors. These insights could inform strategies to enhance early developmental outcomes and mitigate social and developmental disorders, ultimately contributing to improved mental and physical health across the lifespan.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

Abstract Serotonin regulates a variety of complex behaviors in both mammals and invertebrates including sleep. The extracellular serotonin level available for signaling to post-synaptic receptors determines the activity of most, if not all underlying circuits. The plasma membrane Serotonin Transporter (SERT) is responsible for reuptake of serotonin after exocytotic release and therefore represents the primary mechanism for regulating extracellular serotonin levels. To date, the mechanisms by a which a decrease in SERT activity and the subsequent increase in extracellular serotonin alters circuit function and behavior remain poorly understood. Drosophila represents a powerful model to address this issue, but the requisite genetic tools have remained underdeveloped. We have addressed this issue by generating new tagged and/or mutant alleles of the Drosophila Serotonin Transporter (dSERT) and a subset of serotonin receptors. In Aim 1 we will use these lines to explore potential heterogeneities in the pathways by which dSERT regulates sleep and determine whether loss of dSERT activity during development can influence adult sleep. Both issues have broad translational relevance. In Aim 2 we will map for the first time, the location of serotonergic autoreceptors in the fly. We will then determine whether a serotonergic autoreceptor we have identified regulates sleep. In Aim 3 we will probe specific subsets of post-synaptic neurons in the mushroom bodies for potential changes in gene expression. We will use genetic tools that surpass the level of detail available in mammalian systems. These data will provide fundamental information about the mechanisms by which SERT can influence a translationally relevant behavior. We speculate that the principles we uncover will be relevant to both sleep as well as other complex behaviors regulated by serotonin and SERT.

NIDA - National Institute on Drug Abuse

PROJECT SUMMARY Drug overdose accounts for approximately one-fifth of all pregnancy-associated deaths (the majority involving opioids) and drug-related foster care placements for infants have quadrupled over the past decade. Pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder (OUD) too often experience shame and stigma; punitive responses to prenatal substance use drive pregnant women away from care, creating major obstacles to receiving life-saving medications and engaging in treatment. To address the growing number of infants affected by prenatal substance exposure, the federal reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) requires a “Plan of Safe Care” (POSC) for parent-infant dyads affected by prenatal substance use at delivery. However, state implementation efforts have been varied, and few states have fully addressed all CAPTA requirements. Current approaches to meeting the POSC requirement, which rely on a static document created at delivery, do not provide adequate support for families struggling with custody issues and substance-related stigmas. The proposed study aims to adapt and evaluate the Family Care Planning (FCP) intervention, which implements longitudinal, transdisciplinary, and family-centered teleconference meetings to bring mothers together with their clinical, community, and child welfare teams to engage in facilitated, respectful treatment planning discussions. In the R61 Phase, we will refine and standardize protocols for the FCP approach using participatory co-design principles, incorporating input from early clinical adopters, mothers, community supports, and child welfare workers (Aim 1). We will also pilot test the FCP intervention to assess feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability (Aim 2). In the R33 Phase, we will conduct a stepped-wedge cluster randomized control clinical trial using a Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness – Implementation study design with 312 parent-infant dyads. This phase will evaluate the effectiveness of FCP, implemented longitudinally over six months in the postpartum period, to increase maternal OUD treatment engagement and rates of family preservation. Additionally, we will explore the extent to which FCP improves substance use recovery, postpartum overdose rates, maternal self-efficacy, maternal mental health, and well-child care adherence. We will also explore measures of interpersonal (participants) and interagency (clinical-child welfare) trust. Finally, we will use the RE-AIM implementation framework and mixed methods to assess the extent to which FCP implementation is associated with effectiveness outcomes (Aim 4). Findings from this study are expected to have significant implications for addressing the effects of maternal substance use in the postpartum year.

NIDA - National Institute on Drug Abuse

Maternal morbidity and mortality is a growing public health crisis in the United States that disproportionately impacts pregnant and postpartum Native Americans (Native mothers) and, subsequently, their children and families. In Utah, the leading causes of maternal death are related to substance use, substance use disorder (SU/SUD), and mental health conditions, with many considered preventable. In response, the University of Utah has partnered with the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation to develop, implement, and evaluate CEREMONY, a perinatal clinical program for Native mothers with SU/SUD. CEREMONY is rooted in cultural practices and addresses additional structural and social barriers to engagement in care and recovery. Relationships strongly influence health behaviors and outcomes, and this is acutely pertinent for Native Americans whose traditional values and family structures emphasize community healing and kinship. However, there is a critical gap in our understanding of the social networks of Native mothers, which have not been previously well-characterized or studied, and how these networks might be important to recovery from SU/SUD. Longitudinal research on the evolution of social networks in Native mothers navigating SU/SUD could inform the development and guide the improvement of effective interventions. Through this project, I will: 1) characterize the social networks of Native mothers participating in a culturally integrated perinatal SU/SUD program, thereby enhancing my social network analysis skills; 2) assess the relationship between social network characteristics and SU/SUD and perinatal program outcomes, and 3) explore Native mothers’ perceptions of their social networks and how their networks impact their health behaviors and outcomes, further developing my qualitative and mixed methods skills. The completion of the aims outlined in this proposal will both contribute to a critical knowledge gap and provide me with an important research skill set in SU/SUD and maternal health research. Rigorous training in mixed methods design, social network analysis, qualitative methods, and biostatistics will accelerate my transition to a tenure-line independent investigator. My training plan was developed in collaboration with my Co-Sponsors to achieve the following goals: 1) form clinically relevant hypotheses and design rigorous experiments to test them, 2) develop skills in mixed methods design and social network analysis, 3) strengthen my skills in scientific writing and communication, 4) develop and demonstrate mentorship and leadership skills, and 5) maintain and strengthen clinical skills to better understand the clinical significance of my research. My interdisciplinary team of mentors will provide extensive guidance to achieve these goals, thus facilitating my progression into an independent physician-scientist researcher and leader. This fellowship will help me, a rising Eastern Shoshone physician-scientist, develop the skills required to conduct reciprocal, ethical research that honors Tribal sovereignty, knowledge, and traditions as essential tools for addressing health disparities.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY One of the brain’s most remarkable abilities is its capacity to learn and adapt continuously throughout life. This capacity relies on balancing two competing demands: keeping context- and task-specific details distinct while also integrating shared structure across experiences to enable generalization. However, we still do not fully understand how the brain concurrently manages these demands, largely due to the lack of tasks designed for studying them together. We propose that memory replay—the reactivation of brain activity patterns in the absence of overt task demand—support continual learning in the brain by reorganizing neural representations to fulfill these demands. Although past research has identified evidence of replay across animals and humans, its role in learning and behavior remain unclear. To address these gaps, we have developed a new experimental design that examines examines how the brain manages to keep task-specific details separate while also extracting common patterns during continual learning. We will also explore how memory replay enables the brain to strike this balance. Our approach tests two main hypotheses: first, that the brain forms representations that segregate context- and task- specific information while abstracting shared structure across tasks; and second, that replay supports continual learning by helping to orthogonalize and abstract task representations. In our study, participants will first learn simple, one-step transitions before planning longer action sequences across three different graphs, all while their brain activity is recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG). This design will allow us to assess how well participants retain details specific to the individual graphs and extract a hidden, abstract structure common to all of them. We will analyze both behavior and neural patterns to understand how the brain manages these dual demands, and we will compare human behavior and neural representations with that of neural network models optimized for the same tasks. We will also use advanced MEG decoding techniques to track replay events during both rest and active task phases, examining how these events shape behavior and task representations. Complementary measures, such as eye-tracking, will help us explore how different physiological states influence replay dynamics. By combining behavioral testing, neuroimaging, and computational modeling, this study aims to provide new insights into how the brain continually adapts to changing environments. The findings will deepen our fundamental understanding of human learning and memory, and guide future efforts to enhance cognitive function in educational, clinical, and aging settings.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

Recent advances in human genetics defined hundreds of causal variants for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, substantial effort is now required to identify downstream disease processes and guide development of interventions. One such new NOD gene is ZNF292: mutations were recently associated with ASD and other NDDs in humans, but ZNF292 requirements for brain development and consequences of pathogenic mutation have not been studied in any animal or human cellular model. Here, we propose a comprehensive mechanistic investigation of ZNF292, using both established cuttingedge workflows and innovative new approaches to study the consequences of both deficiency and pathogenic mutation at the molecular, cellular, structural, and functional and behavioral circuit levels. We use two complementary experimental systems, mouse models and human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neurons, to define ZNF292 requirements for neurodevelopment. We focus initially on hPSC models carrying six pathogenic ZNF292 variants identified in patients with ASD, intellectual disability, and other NOD clinical phenotypes (e.g., microcephaly, epilepsy), and comparison with hPSC lines with constitutive or inducible ZNF292 deficiency. Our preliminary work has already demonstrated shared disruptions of neurodevelopment, transcriptional regulation, and neuronal network function stemming from either ZNF292 deficiency or pathogenic mutation in these models. We also developed conditional and non-conditional mouse knockout models of ZNF292 deficiency and demonstrated that these exhibit NOD-relevant circuit disruptions and, accordingly, altered behavior. Further, we developed cutting-edge tools for temporally controlled reversal of ZNF292 deficiency in our hPSC models, enabling us to investigate the effects of restoring ZNF292 gene function either during development or in mature neurons. Related landmark experiments profoundly changed our understanding of other NDDs by demonstrating that a substantial proportion of chronic NOD phenotypes were reversible, thus spurring the development of therapeutics based on either restoring gene expression or reversing its chronic consequences for neuronal function. In complementary efforts, we continue to model additional cases in this rapidly expanding patient population, linking NOD clinical phenotypes to shared, reversible endophenotypes related to altered neuronal network function. Based upon our preliminary data, we hypothesize that impaired circuit and neuronal network function stemming from chronic reduction of ZNF292 activity contributes substantially to NDDs in this patient population. These deficits may be tractable for molecular or pharmacological treatment to develop interventions. Therefore, together, the experiments performed here will elucidate requirements for and mechanisms by which ZNF292 normally controls brain development and function, will determine how these are disrupted by pathogenic ZNF292 mutation, and could also chart a course towards ZNF292-targeted therapies.

National Institutes of Health

-Purpose. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) encourages research on adherence to interventions for mental disorders. The clinical effectiveness of efficacious interventions for mental disorders is substantially limited by less than optimal adherence to these interventions. Problems of adherence are common across most medical interventions, but are further exacerbated in mental health interventions by the cognitive and motivational deficits often associated with these conditions. Therefore, research is encouraged to further understand the potent and modifiable factors associated with treatment adherence in those with mental disorders and to develop and evaluate strategies to improve adherence to efficacious interventions for mental disorders. -Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism, but applications under the NIH Small Research Grant Program (R03) and the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (R21) are also sought. Applicants for the R03 should respond to PA-06-180 and applicants for the R21 should respond to PA-06-181. -Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

National Institutes of Health

Purpose. Insomnia Disorder affects approximately 10% of adults in the U.S. and results in decreased work and academic performance, increased risk of accidents, increased health care costs, and increased risk of depression and other mental disorders. Given the public health significance of this problem, the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on Manifestations and Management of Chronic Insomnia in Adults was held in June, 2005. The resulting conference statement outlined what is currently known and identified important future directions for insomnia-related research. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to encourage research that addresses the research needs outlined in this conference statement. Recommended areas for future research include genetic and neurobiologic mechanisms of insomnia, longitudinal studies of incidence and course of insomnia, improved measures of daytime functioning and quality of life resulting from insomnia, studies of insomnia in special populations, the impact of insomnia on the development of other disorders including depression, drug abuse, and chronic diseases, and the development and evaluation of treatment approaches and their dissemination. Research that translates basic science findings into novel clinical approaches is particularly encouraged.

National Institutes of Health

-Purpose. The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), is to invite grant applications for research designed to elucidate the epidemiology, etiology, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders, including emotional and behavioral problems, in persons of any age with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation). Although intellectual disabilities and autism often co-occur, separate FOAs are relevant for investigators interested in autism: RESEARCH ON AUTISM AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS under the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) (PA-07-085), the NIH Small Research Grant (R03) (PA-06-391), and the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) (PA-06-392) award mechanisms. -Mechanism of Support. This FOA, Research on Psychopathology In Intellectual Disabilities (Mental Retardation), will use the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism. Applications of related or identical scientific scope are also solicited under the NIH Small Research Grant (R03), the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21), the NIMH Clinical Exploratory Research Grant (R34), and the NIMH Collaborative Program (R01) award mechanisms, responding to FOAs PA-06-180, PA-06-181, PAR-06-248, and PA-07-092, respectively. (For inquiries, see Section VII, Agency Contacts. ) -Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

National Institutes of Health

-Purpose. The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to invite grant applications to stimulate research on mental health, HIV/AIDS and/or drug abuse problems in rural and frontier communities that will: (1) enhance understanding of structural (including community risk and resilience factors), cultural, and individual factors that may enhance the provision and utilization of prevention and treatment services in these communities; and (2) generate knowledge to improve the organization, financing, efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and outcomes of mental health and drug abuse services for diverse populations in rural and frontier populations. -Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism , but applications for the NIMH Clinical Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R34) are also encouraged. Applicants for the R34 mechanism should respond to the PAR-06-248. -Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

Project Summary/Abstract As young adults with autism spectrum disorder (YAASD) transition out of the academic supports provided by school, they can experience a degradation of social skills over time. This increases their risk of poor social, academic, vocational, and health outcomes. YAASD require continuous and ongoing skill development in order to maximize their potential; however, there are few services available to YAASD to develop and maintain their skills. While interventions exist in early childhood, mid-childhood, and adolescence, few programs have focused on improving resilience among YAASD. Resilience in ActionTM (RiA): Assessing the behavioral target mechanisms of the RiATM curriculum in young adults with autism, is a proposed research study that will be delivered in both community and academic settings to address the ‘adult world’ needs of YAASD who have exited out of secondary education. RiATM has been pilot-tested with YAASD and found to be highly acceptable (with 100% course completion and high course satisfaction), and contributed to YAASDs’ improved resiliency measured pre/post the course. In the proposed study, we will test the RiA curriculum developed in the San Francisco Bay Area, into 2 new sites (Boston, Massachusetts, and Baltimore, Maryland) – In Aim 1, we will conduct a randomized waitlist control trial with 288 YAASD (between 19-26 years of age) to examine the effectiveness of the RiA curriculum on resiliency targets (e.g. self- determination, self-efficacy, social confidence, emotional regulation). In Aim 2, we will examine whether resilience targets are associated with improvements in mental health and explore the impact on emotional regulation, vocational outcomes, and quality of life over a 12-month follow- up. Aim 3 will focus on studying the implementation of the RiA curriculum across the different sites using an expanded RE-AIM Framework. The proposed study would be the first to test resilience as a mechanism of action of the RiA curriculum for YAASD, and whether resiliency gained contributes to improved mental health and social outcomes in a multi-center trial of community-based partnerships across the US. This study will add to the science of how resiliency interventions can improve YAASD’s mental health, social, educational, and health- related outcomes.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY The brain is an extraordinarily complex organ containing many millions of neurons and non-neuronal cells that are organized into highly specialized yet intricately integrated circuits controlling various activities, such as sensory perception, motor control, and cognitive processes. The brainstem is a critical region responsible for regulating essential bodily functions, like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion, and thus maintaining body homeostasis. The individual neurons in brainstem can be classified into types based on shared characteristics like gene expression. Binning individual cells into cell types is fundamental for advancing our understanding of complex biological systems, like the brain, from normal tissue function to disease processes. The characterization of cell types enables creation of tools to gain genetic access to groups of cells, it enables dissection of cellular heterogeneity, identify key players in various contexts like disease and aging, and lay the groundwork for targeted interventions and therapies. We recently built a comprehensive, high-resolution atlas of cell types across the entire adult mouse brain and the cell type diversity in brainstem exceeded our expectations. Brainstem is home to a highly heterogeneous group of neurons that does not share a specific gene module, yet these neurons are highly similar to one another. In addition, these cell types intermingle in various regions and their function is strongly determined by their input/output relationship. This suggests that a high-dimensional combinatorial gene expression code is needed to resolve the unique transcriptomic cell types in this region. Our goal is to create a refined atlas of cell types in brainstem using a combination of single cell transcriptomic profiling, spatial transcriptomic profiling, and mapping of projection patterns to transcriptomic cell types in brainstem. In addition, we will computationally align brain stem cell types from mouse, non-human primate, and human to define a cross-species consensus atlas of brain stem. Cell type homologies across species can be established based on conserved marker expression. This enables inference of cellular properties, such as long- range projection targets, that are difficult to measure in humans. The proposed efforts will lead to a significantly improved understanding of brainstem cell types and their function and lay the foundation for a better understanding of disease processes related to that region.

NCI - National Cancer Institute

ABSTRACT Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer diagnosed in childhood. Although risk-adapted therapy and supportive care have improved survival rates, children who receive chemotherapy continue to experience reduced quality of life, including poor sleep health and fatigue long after treatment. Poor sleep significantly elevates risk for deleterious physical and mental health problems in all children and exacerbates risks in ALL patients. While cognitive-behavioral therapy for pediatric insomnia (CBT-PI) is a ‘gold standard’ intervention, it is severely underutilized in pediatric cancer. Guided by conceptual models of sleep disturbance in pediatric cancer and an intervention mapping framework (IM-ADAPT), we propose to derive and test an adapted, telehealth-delivered CBT-PI protocol, REsolving Sleep Troubles in Childhood Leukemia (REST). The REST protocol will address the unique sleep challenges faced by all children receiving maintenance therapy and the ecologies impacting sleep health among heterogeneous families. To adapt CBT-PI, we will engage in iterative refinements, collaborate with an Expert Panel, gather insights from behavioral health providers, and test the usability of intervention materials. We will then evaluate the preliminary efficacy of REST in a pilot randomized controlled trial (n = 72) comparing REST to a sleep education control group. Participants will be children ages 5-10 years and their caregiver. In addition to feasibility and acceptability, primary outcomes including objective (actigraphy) and subjective (caregiver and child report) sleep patterns, daytime fatigue, and circadian rhythms (diurnal salivary cortisol) will be examined at three timepoints (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow up). We also plan to explore potential predictors of REST’s effects including child and parenting/family characteristics. We hypothesize REST will be feasible and acceptable, and produce greater improvements in sleep, fatigue and circadian rhythms than an education control condition. The proposed project addresses critical gaps in care for children with ALL and will directly inform a larger effectiveness trial.

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

PROJECT SUMMARY Millions of individuals around the world are affected by transfemoral lower limb loss, reducing their mobility and profoundly impacting their quality of life. Reduced mobility is a major contributor to adverse physical and mental health outcomes, including limited social participation, inability to return to work, and increased depression. Restoring the maximum possible mobility is, thus, a critical concern. Prosthetic devices are accepted treatment options for lower limb amputation, but even advanced prostheses like microprocessor-controlled knees (MPKs) fall short of restoring pre-amputation gait function. Powered prosthetic knees offer the potential to restore joint torque and replicate human limb functions. However, their increased mass and inertia often diminish their benefits and limit user adoption. While reducing the mass of a powered prosthesis has a practical limit, a more straightforward and tractable approach to overcome these limitations is to reduce the inertia of the device by placing the powertrain above the knee instead of below it, concentrating the mass more proximal to the trunk. This redistributes, rather than reduces, the mass to improve gait. While studies of have shown that above-knee mass placement is superior to below-knee mass placement in passive prosthetic knees, the build height of current powered devices has prevented direct testing of this approach. Specifically, moving the powertrain above the knee would necessitate moving the prosthetic knee center substantially below the sound knee, introducing a large degree of asymmetry. Although a moderate amount of knee height asymmetry has been shown to actually improve step time symmetry when using a passive prosthesis, the disparity in knee height required for powertrain repositioning in current devices would likely have adverse impacts on gait. However, our new low-profile powered knee prototype has a small build height that makes powertrain repositioning possible. The proposed study seeks to gain fundamental biomechanical insights on how mass placement, knee height, and powered assistance interact to affect gait. In Aim 1, we will utilize predictive simulation and biomechanical modeling technology to perform in silico testing of various knee height and mass placement configurations of a prosthesis on virtual subjects with differing physical characteristics, such as residual limb length. This allows our team to test a wide array of configurations in a rapid and efficient manner. In Aim 2, we will perform human subjects testing to assess how knee height asymmetry and mass placement affect gait when using a passive prosthetic knee. Finally, in Aim 3, we will assess how the placement of the powertrain, which accounts for most of the mass and influences knee joint height in our low-profile powered knee prototype, affects walking performance in lower limb prosthesis users. This work leverages our new device to systematically investigate how mass placement, knee height asymmetry, and powered assistance interact to affect mobility. Unlike prior studies, which examine these factors in isolation and only in passive knees, our work will generate foundational data needed to inform evidence-based design of next-generation powered prostheses to optimize outcomes.

National Institutes of Health

-Purpose. The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), is to invite grant applications involving extensive and innovative use of existing data sets to study the development of psychopathology, including alcohol and drug abuse, in order to guide the development of preventive and treatment intervention strategies. Under this FOA, the NIMH, the NIDA, and the NIAAA encourage research using focused and coordinated analyses of mental health and substance abuse research data that are in public use format or that are privately held by a Project Director/Principal Investigator. -Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism. Applications of related or identical scientific scope are also sought under the Small Research Grant (R03) award mechanism, responding to FOA PA-06-180. -Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY: Menopause is a pivotal life stage that brings about lasting changes in mental and cognitive functioning, potentially leading to profound negative effects on multiple life domains in females. During this period, many females may experience the worsening of depressive symptoms or onset of major depressive disorder (MDD), the most prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorder worldwide. Despite the fact that females comprise about half of the global population, evidence that neurochemical alterations observed during menopause may be associated with dementia onset, and higher rates of depression and dementia in females, there are currently no effective treatments targeting the mood and cognitive alterations experienced during menopause. Converging evidence from human clinical studies, postmortem analyses, and preclinical research suggests that both depression and menopause may alter the same brain mechanisms that are crucial for maintaining brain health, particularly through synaptic alterations as possible neurochemical mechanisms. Recent advancements in in vivo quantification of synaptic density in humans have made it possible to measure the density of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), a widely expressed marker of synaptic density, using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Our prior studies have revealed that synaptic density is lower in individuals with MDD across young to middle adulthood. In the current study, we aim to conduct the first known in vivo human PET imaging study of how menopause affects synaptic density, whether MDD may exacerbate menopause-related alterations in synaptic density, and how these synaptic changes relate to objective and subjective measures of mood and cognition. Our preliminary data reveal significantly lower synaptic density in corticolimbic regions in post-menopausal females compared to their pre-menopausal counterparts. They further indicate substantially more pronounced deficits in synaptic density in post-menopausal females with MDD compared to pre-menopausal females with MDD, suggesting an acceleration of synaptic degradation. In the proposed study, we seek to confirm these findings in a large, well-characterized sample of females, incorporating a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach to evaluate the role of menopause in moderating the relation between synaptic density and the full spectrum of mood and cognition. To assess the clinical significance of these changes, we will examine how menopause- and MDD-related changes in synaptic density are associated with functional neural (i.e., electroencephalography) and behavioral (i.e., clinical interview) measures of negative and positive valence and cognitive systems. Results of the proposed study will provide the first human in vivo data on the effects of menopause and MDD on brain synaptic density, and whether these changes may underlie the mood and cognitive alterations experienced in menopause. In doing so, they will help inform a modifiable, precision medicine-based target for treatments aimed at improving mood and cognitive alterations associated with this significant life change among females.