Data Coordinating Center for Approaches to Identifying Preteen Suicide Risk and Protective Factors (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA MH 24 322

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this NIH funding opportunity?

This opportunity is an NIH cooperative agreement to establish and operate a Data Coordinating Center (DCC) that supports a research initiative focused on identifying preteen suicide risk and protective factors. The opportunity is listed as RFA-MH-24-322 under CFDA 93.242 in the health funding category.

What funding mechanism is being used?

The mechanism is a U24 cooperative agreement (clinical trial not allowed). A cooperative agreement typically means NIH expects substantial programmatic involvement during the award, with a strong emphasis on coordination and shared infrastructure.

Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?

No. This is a U24 (clinical trial not allowed). The overarching purpose is to support coordinated, data-driven research efforts rather than to run clinical trials.

What is the primary purpose of the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) in this initiative?

The DCC is intended to provide the data coordination backbone for the broader research initiative. This commonly includes harmonizing data collected across participating projects, ensuring high-quality data management and documentation, enabling secure data transfer, and making data usable for analyses that address preteen suicide risk and protective factors.

What kinds of scientific questions is the initiative trying to address?

The initiative emphasizes improving how the field understands and predicts suicide-related outcomes in preteens, including how risk emerges, changes over time, and could become actionable for prevention. A central focus is on modeling "risk states" and understanding how those states transition into observable risk behaviors such as self-harm and suicide attempts.

What does NIH mean by moving beyond broad, static risk indicators?

The opportunity highlights a need for models that do more than list general correlates or unchanging risk markers. It points toward characterizing patterns and trajectories of risk, identifying near-term warning signs, and distinguishing underlying vulnerability from periods of acute or escalating risk.

What are "risk states" in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the description, "risk states" refer to potentially identifiable conditions or periods that reflect varying levels or forms of suicide risk in preteens. The initiative is interested in understanding how these states appear, how they change over time, and how they may progress into observable risk behaviors.

What types of outcomes or behaviors are specifically mentioned?

The opportunity explicitly references suicide-related outcomes in preteens, including self-harm and suicide attempts, as examples of observable risk behaviors that models should help explain and predict.

What is meant by identifying protective factors?

The initiative aims to identify protective factors that reduce risk or help prevent progression toward self-harm or suicide attempts. It highlights both proximal protective factors (near-term buffers) and distal protective factors (longer-term influences on resilience and developmental pathways).

What is the difference between proximal and distal protective factors in this opportunity?

Proximal protective factors are described as near-term buffers that may reduce risk in the short run (for example, immediate supports, coping resources, or family and school-based protective conditions). Distal protective factors are described as factors that may shape longer-term resilience and developmental pathways.

Why does the opportunity emphasize "modifiable" protective factors?

The opportunity highlights protective factors that are measurable and potentially modifiable, meaning they could be strengthened or enhanced and used as practical levers for prevention strategies rather than remaining purely descriptive variables.

Does the initiative address intervention targets and timing?

Yes. A stated goal is to pinpoint intervention targets and the timing of intervention, along with scalable assessment approaches that have clinical utility.

What does "scalable assessment" mean in this context?

"Scalable assessment" refers to measurement approaches that can be implemented broadly and efficiently in real-world settings. The description points to use in pediatric clinics, schools, community programs, and other youth-serving systems.

What does "clinical utility" mean in this context?

"Clinical utility" signals that assessment outputs should be useful in real settings to characterize risk and protective factors in ways that support prevention-related actions, such as screening, monitoring, triage, referral, or similar steps.

What role does a U24 DCC typically play in a consortium like this?

The opportunity describes a DCC role that commonly includes leadership on data governance, common data elements, documentation, secure data transfer, database design, analytic support, and facilitation of collaboration across the broader research consortium.

How does a cooperative agreement differ from a standard research grant for this project?

Compared with a standard research grant, the cooperative agreement structure indicates stronger expectations around coordination, shared infrastructure, data standards, governance processes, and responsiveness to NIH program priorities, with substantial NIH programmatic involvement during the award.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes: state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses.

Are any additional organization types specifically called out as eligible?

Yes. The notice also calls out Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; regional organizations; and U.S. territories or possessions.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible to apply?

No. The opportunity excludes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities. Foreign organizations are not eligible.

Are foreign components allowed as part of an application from a U.S. organization?

No. The opportunity states that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations and foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) are not allowed.

What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is listed as $250,000.

How many awards does NIH expect to make?

The provided listing shows "ExpectedAwards:" without a number. Based on the provided information excerpt, the expected number of awards is not specified.

What are the key dates mentioned in the opportunity description?

The creation date is listed as 2023-09-08, and the original closing date is listed as 2023-11-09.

What is the overall intent of the initiative that the DCC will support?

The overall intent is to build coordinated, harmonized data resources and analytic readiness for research that produces better models of preteen suicide risk, clarifies protective factors that may prevent progression toward self-harm and attempts, and supports measurement approaches that are practical and informative for real-world prevention and clinical use.