Research

Scientific research is the backbone of our organization. Since our founding in 1987, when a small group of families affected by suicide joined with researchers seeking to learn more, AFSP has grown to become the largest private funder of suicide prevention research, leading the way in fostering a vibrant scientific community around the world. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, AFSP funds studies that deepen our understanding of what leads to suicide and how best to save lives and support those impacted.

Our scientific advisors help set the national research agenda, selecting from 385 applications this year — nearly double the amount of most years, reflecting the current federal funding climate and the growth of our research community — to fund studies that inform practical strategies for prevention and support that will have true impact.

AFSP Focus Grants are our largest grants. They are targeted, innovative, and potentially high-impact studies that seek to inform and even transform suicide prevention efforts.

This year's Focus Grants concentrate on:

• The impact of different treatments for suicidal adolescents
• Approaches for fast response to suicide clusters, i.e., suicidal acts that occur close together in time or location
• Effective training strategies for community health representatives and school counselors seeking to prevent suicide among Indigenous youth

AFSP's Innovation Grants open up new areas of inquiry, and this year's grants examine topics including:

• Strategies for combining ketamine treatment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to reduce suicidal ideation
• Treatments to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors for women who have experienced interpersonal violence
• Cannabis use, cognitive processing, and suicide risk in young adults

You can learn more about this year's grants and topic areas here.

Our efforts to engage and support the scientific community this year included:

• Co-hosting the International Summit for Suicide Research in Boston with the International Academy for Suicide Research
• Co-hosting the Virtual Suicide Research Symposium to encourage early career researchers
• Guiding and developing work through the Early Career ReApplication Lab, which brought applicants and mentors together to prepare for grant application resubmission