John Peterson, PhD, has studied issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community for more than 25 years, and from that experience he came to believe that there was a significant lack of research in this area.
His suspicions were confirmed after he was appointed by the Institute of Medicine in 2010 to a committee charged with reviewing the research on LGBT populations to identify research gaps and opportunities. The committee found that there was noticeable neglect in this area of study, and much more research was needed to understand the health-related concerns and needs of sexual minorities, Peterson says.
Eager to attract new investigators to this field, Peterson decided to list the APF as a beneficiary in his will to support the Wayne F. Placek Grant. The grant funds empirical research from all fields of the behavioral and social sciences on any topic related to LGBT issues.
"I feel that much of the research that is needed relies on attracting rigorous investigators to the field, and I wanted to contribute to that effort," says Peterson, professor emeritus in the department of psychology at Georgia State University. "This grant can be seed money that allows young investigators to conduct preliminary research that will help them secure larger federal grants in the future through organizations like the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation."
Peterson's interest in studying sexual minorities began when the HIV/AIDS epidemic was emerging. He quickly discovered that little research focused on nonwhite gay men. In 1989, he conducted the first NIH-funded study on HIV behavioral intervention research for African-American gay men.
Since the IOM report's release five years ago, Peterson has been encouraged by the NIH's response. The organization has increased funding opportunities for researchers studying sexual minorities, Peterson says. The APA's Placek Grants of $15,000 support investigators studying heterosexuals' attitudes and behaviors toward LGBT people, family and workplace issues relevant to LGBT people, and special concerns of sectors of the LGBT population that have historically been underrepresented in research. Since 1995, the fund has granted more than $1 million.
"I am interested in this area because I am a sexual minority myself," Peterson says. "I want to contribute to the population where I am a member and there is a need. I had a desire to give back to the research community, and what better way to do that than to try to provide scholarships to help other investigators."
For more information about the Wayne F. Placek Grants.
