Department of Health and Human Services Grant

The purpose of this initiative is to support time-sensitive research on risk and resilience factors related to short- and long-term health outcomes following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This initiative will use a shortened submission timeline with expedited peer review, council concurrence, and award issuance. The entire cycle, from submission to award, is expected to be within 3-4 months.

The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to better understand the short-term health risks and health impacts of hurricanes in PR and USVI, including the onset of acute conditions, exacerbation of existing chronic conditions, and risk for future onset of chronic disease. Projects supported under this FOA may be used as the basis for future studies of longer-term health impacts. Projects are expected to examine interrelationships among psychosocial stressors experienced by PR or USVI residents; individual, family, organizational, and/or community-level responses (including healthcare system responses); and current physical health or mental health status and/or risk factors for future chronic disease. Projects supported under this FOA may be used as the basis for future studies of longer-term health impacts. Projects are expected to examine interrelationships among psychosocial stressors experienced by PR or USVI residents; individual, family, organizational, and/or community-level responses (including healthcare system responses); and current physical health or mental health status and/or risk factors for future chronic disease. Projects are expected to use an approach that encompasses multiple domains (e.g., biological, behavioral, sociocultural, environmental, physical environment, or health system) and multiple levels (e.g., individual, interpersonal, community, societal) to understand post-hurricane health risk and resilience.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Recognizing that substantial research has been conducted on mental health outcomes following disasters, including the role that many psychosocial stressors play in acute and chronic disease morbidity and mortality, NIMH will accept for consideration applications that move beyond established literature on general risk factors, patterns of need, the costs and benefits of implementing evidence-based interventions and treatments to improve mental health outcomes, and examining new ways of reducing gaps in mental health needs. Applications proposing to relate known disaster related stressors to acute and chronic mental health outcomes will not be considered for funding by NIMH.

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