[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75343-75344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26094]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Request for Information on Research Opportunities Related to the 
National Institutes of Health Scientific Workshop on Violence and 
Related Health Outcomes in Sexual and Gender Minority Communities

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Through this Request for Information (RFI), the Sexual & 
Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) in the Division of Program 
Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), Office of 
the Director (OD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), invites 
feedback from stakeholders throughout the scientific research 
community, clinical practice communities, patient and family advocates, 
scientific or professional organizations, federal partners, internal 
NIH stakeholders, and other interested constituents on research 
opportunities related to the upcoming NIH Scientific Workshop on 
Violence and Related Health Outcomes in Sexual and Gender Minority 
(SGM) Communities. The overarching purpose of this workshop is to 
identify and prioritize key research opportunities to further our 
understanding of violence against SGM individuals.

DATES: The SGMRO's RFI is open for public comment for a period of 8 
weeks. Comments must be received on or before COB (5:00 p.m. E.T.) 
January 29, 2021, to ensure consideration. After the public comment 
period has closed, the comments received by SGMRO will be considered in 
a timely manner and shared with invitees to the Scientific Workshop on 
Violence and Related Health Outcomes in SGM Communities.

ADDRESSES: Please see the supplementary information to view the draft 
domains and themes of focus for the Scientific Workshop on Violence and 
Related Health Outcomes in SGM Communities. It is strongly encouraged 
to submit comments by email to [email protected]. Please include ``SGM 
Health and Violence Workshop'' in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irene Avila, Ph.D., Assistant 
Director, Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO), 6555 Rock 
Spring Drive, Rm 2SE31J, Bethesda, MD 20817, [email protected], 301-
594-9701.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: ``Sexual and gender minority'' is an umbrella term that 
includes, but is not limited to, individuals who identify as lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, queer, and/or 
intersex. Individuals with same-sex or -gender attractions or behaviors 
and those with a difference in sex development are also included. These 
populations also encompass those who do not self-identify with one of 
these terms but whose sexual orientation, gender identity or 
expression, or reproductive development is characterized by non-binary 
constructs of sexual orientation, gender, and/or sex.
    In accordance with Section 404N of the 21st Century Cures Act (Pub. 
L. 114-255), the Director of NIH shall encourage research on SGM 
populations. The Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) 
coordinates sexual and gender minority (SGM)-related research and 
activities by working directly with NIH Institutes, Centers, and 
Offices. The Office was officially established in September 2015 within 
the DPCPSI in the NIH OD and has the following operational goals: (1) 
Advance rigorous research on the health of SGM populations in both the 
extramural and intramural research communities; (2) expand SGM health 
research by fostering partnerships and collaborations with a strategic 
array of internal and external stakeholders; (3) foster a highly 
skilled and diverse workforce in SGM health research; and (4) encourage 
data collection related to SGM populations in research and the 
biomedical research workforce. The Scientific Workshop on Violence and 
Related Health Outcomes in Sexual and Gender Minority Communities 
represents an important step in pursuing these goals specifically in 
the field of violence research.
    Request for Comment on Research Opportunities: NIH will be holding 
a workshop to enhance our understanding of violence against SGM 
individuals and identify opportunities in violence-related research. 
The SGMRO invites input from stakeholders throughout the scientific 
research community, clinical practice communities, patient and family 
advocates, scientific or professional organizations, federal partners, 
internal NIH stakeholders, and other interested members of the public 
on research opportunities related to the four domains highlighted 
below. This input will serve as a valuable element in the development 
of the workshop and subsequent report out, and the community's time and 
consideration are highly appreciated.
    This RFI serves as the first phase of the Scientific Workshop on 
Violence and Related Health Outcomes in Sexual and Gender Minority 
Communities. After the RFI has closed and comments from the public have 
been reviewed by workshop invitees, the second phase of the workshop 
will take place. During phase II, workshop invitees will discuss the 
current landscape of violence research, including an overview of 
specific subsets of violence research, relevant terminology, impacts on 
SGM populations, and institutional contexts. This phase will focus on 
four domains of violence research:
     Family of origin abuse across the lifespan, including 
child maltreatment (sexual, physical, psychological, and neglect) and 
elder abuse;
     Victimization by peers and friends, including youth and 
adult peer victimization (including bullying) and cyberbullying (among 
both youths and adults);
     Romantic and sexual partner violence, including teen 
dating violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence; and
     Community violence, including gender-based violence, hate 
crimes, workplace violence, neighborhood violence, and police violence.
    In addition, relevant systemic and institutional barriers will be 
considered for each of these four areas.
    In phase III, workgroups will be formed to identify and describe 
central themes and opportunities in violence research, taking into 
consideration feedback from the RFI. The workgroups will comprise 
expert participants from each of the four phase II sessions as well as 
other key partners and stakeholders. The four themes for workgroup 
discussion will be:

[[Page 75344]]

     Socio-demographics and epidemiology
     Risk factors and pathways
     Preventive strategies and interventions
     Structural interventions
    NIH seeks comments and/or suggestions from all interested parties 
on key research opportunities in SGM health and violence.
    Responses to this RFI are voluntary. Do not include any 
proprietary, classified, confidential, trade secret, or sensitive 
information in your response. The responses will be reviewed by NIH 
staff, and individual feedback will not be provided to any responder. 
The Government will use the information submitted in response to this 
RFI at its discretion. The Government reserves the right to use any 
submitted information on public NIH websites; in reports; in summaries 
of the state of the science; in any possible resultant solicitation(s), 
grant(s), or cooperative agreement(s); or in the development of future 
funding opportunity announcements.
    This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should 
not be construed as a solicitation for applications or proposals, or as 
an obligation in any way on the part of the United States Federal 
Government, NIH, or individual NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices to 
provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. The Federal 
Government will not pay for the preparation of any information 
submitted or for the Government's use of such information. No basis for 
claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a 
response to this RFI or from the Government's use of such information. 
Additionally, the Government cannot guarantee the confidentiality of 
the information provided.

    Dated: November 18, 2020.
Lawrence A. Tabak,
Principal Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2020-26094 Filed 11-24-20; 8:45 am]
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