Public Law 116 - 339 - Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act

[116th Congress Public Law 339]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 134 STAT. 5126]]

Public Law 116-339
116th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support 
multidisciplinary research on the science of suicide, and to advance the 
   knowledge and understanding of issues that may be associated with 
  several aspects of suicide including intrinsic and extrinsic factors 
          related to areas such as wellbeing, resilience, and 
         vulnerability. <<NOTE: Jan. 13, 2021 -  [H.R. 4704]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Advancing 
Research to Prevent Suicide Act. 42 USC 1861 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide 
Act''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1862v note.>>  FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The rate of Americans dying by suicide is on the rise, 
        increasing 10.7 to 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people from 2001 to 
        2017.
            (2) Suicide is the tenth-leading cause of death among people 
        in the United States and the second-leading cause of death for 
        young people between the ages of 15 and 34.
            (3) The National Science Foundation funds research that is 
        improving our basic understanding of factors with potential 
        relevance to suicide, including potential relevance to 
        prevention and treatment.
            (4) Despite progress in mental health research, current gaps 
        exist in scientific understanding and basic knowledge of human 
        neural, genetic, cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, social, and 
        environmental factors with potential relevance to suicide.
SEC. 3. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1862v.>>  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
                    RESEARCH.

    (a) <<NOTE: Consultation. Grants.>>  In General.--The Director of 
the National Science Foundation, in consultation with the Director of 
the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the National 
Institute of Mental Health and taking into consideration prioritized 
research agendas or strategic plans, as appropriate, shall, subject to 
the availability of appropriations, award grants on a competitive, 
merit-reviewed basis to institutions of higher education (or consortia 
of such institutions) to support multidisciplinary, fundamental research 
with potential relevance to suicide, including potential relevance to 
prevention and treatment, including, but not limited to--
            (1) basic understanding of human social behavior;
            (2) the neural basis of human cognition;
            (3) basic understanding of cognitive, linguistic, social, 
        cultural, and biological processes related to human development 
        across the lifespan;

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            (4) basic understanding of perceptual, motor, and cognitive 
        processes, and their interaction, in typical human behavior; and
            (5) basic understanding of the relevance of drug and alcohol 
        abuse.

    (b) Encouraging Applications From Early Career Researchers.--To 
promote the development of early career researchers, in awarding funds 
under subsection (a), the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall encourage applications submitted by early career researchers, 
including doctoral students or postdoctoral researchers.

    Approved January 13, 2021.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 4704:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 116-342 (Comm. on Science, Space, and Technology).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 166 (2020):
            Jan. 27, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 14, considered and passed Senate, amended.
            Dec. 31, House concurred in Senate amendment.

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