Research on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered populations is needed and wanted, says NIH

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is actively inviting submissions of grant applications for behavioral, social, mental health and substance abuse research with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered (LGBT) and related populations.

The announcement is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as well as by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and the Office of Research on Women's Health.

The program announcement was developed in response to suggestions made at a September 1999 workshop co-sponsored by APA. In alignment with the Public Health Service in its effort to promote health and disease prevention in "Healthy People 2010," the goal of NIH's program announcement is to contribute to the scientific understanding of LGBT individuals in the United States. Research at all levels--biological, psychological, social, cultural--is encouraged and "may be proposed within the areas of basic, clinical, intervention, practice and services research."

The announcement states NIH's interest in clarifying through its funded research "the nature, extent and determinants of mental disorder and substance abuse among LGBTs" and also "research that will lead to improved forms of prevention, treatment, counseling and service delivery for LGBTs." Research is also sought "to better understand how stressful conditions arise in the various contexts of LGBT people's daily lives and how LGBTs interpret and react to these conditions."

According to NIMH's Howard S. Kurtzman, PhD, of the Behavioral Science Research Branch, NIH has long been interested in this population, but the institutes receive few applications for grants for this type of research.

"The primary purpose of the program announcement is to remove any doubt in the minds of researchers and administrators about NIH's strong interest in receiving grant applications in this area," says Kurtzman.

The program announcement is active for three years. There are three deadlines per year for applications, Feb. 1, June 1 and Oct. 1.

--K. HEWLETT