Announcements

Clinical Digest: Dietary Supplements and Cognitive Function, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease

This issue of the digest summarizes current information on “what the science says” about several dietary supplements that have been studied for cognitive function, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Although a few trials of natural products for the prevention of cognitive decline or dementia have shown some modest effects, direct evidence is lacking.

Showcasing Cutting-Edge Research on Natural Products

Craig Hopp, Ph.D.

June 07, 2017

NCCIH’s natural products portfolio represents roughly half of our overall extramural funding. Dr. Hopp shares recent events and efforts related to this portfolio.

Resources for Researchers

New Funding Opportunity: Addressing Suicide Research Gaps: Understanding Mortality Outcomes (R01)

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeks to support efforts focused on linking pertinent data from healthcare system records (e.g., suicide attempt events) to mortality data so that a more accurate understanding of the risk factors for, and the burden of, suicide among those seen in structured healthcare settings can be discerned. Specifically, data are needed on the type, severity, and timing of suicide predictors in the U.S. In addition to improving our national knowledge of the burden of suicide, these data offer the hope of yielding essential benchmarks for both public and private care providers/insurers, who increasingly will be seeking improvements to reduce the frequency of suicide events in their systems. Projects supported by this FOA will help address gaps identified in the 2014 Prioritized Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention.

NCCIH is particularly interested in applications that:

Examine data from health care records that include mortality outcomes and information about use of complementary or integrative approaches, including stepped care and collaborative models, to better understand predictors of suicide and factors that may reduce its occurrence. Examples of complementary and integrative approaches include mindfulness based stress reduction, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, and integrative care.
Examine linkage of data from clinical trials, including pragmatic clinical trials, that examine complementary or integrative approaches, to mortality outcomes to better understand predictors of suicide and factors that may reduce its occurrence. Examples of complementary and integrative approaches may include mindfulness based stress reduction, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, and integrative care.

NCCIH intends to commit up to $250,000 to support 1 meritorious application of clear relevance to its mission.

Technical Assistance Teleconference

A technical assistance teleconference will be held for potential applicants on September 11, 2017 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET. The dial in number is 866-692-3158 and participant code is 5800728. NIH staff will be available to answer questions related to this FOA.

Applications are due November 2, 2017. Letters of Intent are due 30 days prior to the application due date. Eve Reider, Ph.D., is the scientific/research contact.