Sep / Oct 2023

Mental Health for UC Researchers

Welcome back to the third year of the DEI in Research Digest. With this new year, I wanted to focus on an aspect of DEI that affects us all: mental health. The demanding work environment, the ever-changing work-life balance, and the constant pressure of productivity all while navigating our roles as researchers and scholars can take a toll on all of us.

In this issue, we are highlighting recent awards for a few of the many outstanding faculty we have who are experts in mental health, social work, and other related fields. Additionally, we highlight a number of funding opportunities in mental health and other DEI topics, an exciting panel discussion on this topic plus a publication I believe you will find of interest. I hope you are as inspired as I am by all the expertise, resources and foci our institution places on the challenges our society faces in these areas.

If you are feeling stressed, burnt-out, anxious, or depressed, please seek help immediately. Here is the full list of what UC has to offer. If you have suggestions on research and scholarly programs the Office of Research can share that highlight UC’s impact in the area of mental health, please let me know through Research@uc.edu.

Please take care,

Pat Limbach

Vice President for Research

DEI Spotlight: Mental Health Research at UC

"Young Sexual Minority Womens Mental Health Developmental Trajectories, Mechanisms of Risk, and Protective Factors"

June 13, 2023 | National Institute of Mental Health | $804,411

In June, Dr. Sarah Whitton (Professor of Psychology) was awarded a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for her longitudinal cohort study that seeks to address the significantly higher rates of mental health problems faced by sexual minority women, as opposed to heterosexual women and sexual minority men, in order to better prevent and treat such mental illnesses through the development of evidence-based, culturally sensitive interventions. Congratulations, Dr. Whitton!

"Can mental health services break the cycle perpetuating HIV hotspots in sub-Saharan Africa?"

May 9, 2023 | National Institute of Mental Health | $62,167

This past May, Dr. Diego Cuadros (Assistant Professor of Geography & DF Digital Epidemiology Lab Director) was awarded a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for his research on how using geographically targeted mental health interventions in HIV hotspots in sub-Saharan Africa could optimize resource utilization and maximize the impact on the epidemic. Congratulations, Dr. Cuadros!

"Cortical Mechanisms of Traumatic Stress"

September 2, 2022 | National Institute of Mental Health | $549,020

Last September, Dr. James Herman (Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Associate Director for UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute, Department Chair, & Flor van Maanen Endowed Chair) was awarded a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for his research that aims to better understand brain mechanisms that control behavioral stress responses. This improved understanding will inform the development of strategies for management of maladaptive behaviors in stress-linked disorders and for the promotion of stress resilience in individuals exposed to traumatic or severe stress. Congratulations, Dr. Herman!

Select Resources to Drive DEI in Research at UC

Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Centers

This Notice of Funding Opportunity invites applications for center grants to support Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Centers.

SPIN ID: 119377

Deadline: May 17, 2024

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NIMH Mentoring Networks for Mental Health Research Education

The overarching goal of this program is to support educational activities that complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs in the mission areas of the NIMH.

SPIN ID: 116555

Deadline: May 25, 2024

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Upcoming Events

TCN Roundtable on Mental Health:

Tackling Behavioral Health Equity and Access to Care

October 19, 2023 | 9:00-11:00AM

Online event via Zoom (register here)

This roundtable, presented by The Collaborating Network, explores equity in mental and behavioral health care, improving access by confronting the workforce shortage, and the scope of the mental health system in OH. It features panelists:

Lori Criss, M.S.W., Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addition Services
Kate Schroder, M.B.A., President and CEO of Interact for Health
Meredith Poynter, Southwest Hub Director of the Mental Health & Addition Advocacy Coalition

Learn more

Upcoming Deadlines

NSF: Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering & Science (INCLUDES)

Deadline: October 30, 2023

Seeks to improve collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing the preparation, increasing the participation, and ensuring the contributions of individuals from groups that have been historically underrepresented and underserved in the STEM enterprise.

Learn more

NSF: Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation

Deadline: November 3 & 17, 2023 (varies by track)

Supports university alliances and post-baccalaureate fellowship programs focused on increasing the number of STEM bachelor's and graduate degrees awarded to populations historically underrepresented in STEM fields.

Learn more

NSF: Racial Equity in STEM Education (EHR Racial Equity)

Deadline: December 5, 2023

Aims to (1) substantively contribute to institutionalizing effective research-based practices, policies, and outcomes in STEM environments for those who experience inequities caused by systemic racism and the broader community; (2) advance scholarship and promote racial equity in STEM in ways that expand the array of epistemologies, perspectives, ideas, theoretical and methodological approaches that NSF funds; and (3) further diversify project leadership (PIs and co-PIs) and institutions funded by NSF.

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DOD: Department of the Navy (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program

Deadline: December 15, 2023

Aims to increase the quantity and quality of minority professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the defense community.

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NIH: Leading Equity and Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program (LEAD MSTP) (T32)

Deadline: January 25, 2024

Aims to develop a diverse pool of highly trained clinician-scientist leaders available to meet the Nation's biomedical research needs by providing support for dual-degree clinician scientist training at institutions that have historically not been well represented among NIGMS-funded Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs).

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NIH: Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Required)

Deadline: February 13, 2024

Seeks to enhance the pool of highly trained investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in research areas of interest to NHLBI.

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In the Headlines

Understanding and Fostering Mental Health and Well-Being among University Faculty: A Narrative Review

In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of mental health concerns in academia, with stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression being reported among faculty members. This paper is a narrative review of the pertinent literature describing faculty mental health and well-being.