United States: Research on Biopsychosocial Factors of Social Connectedness and Isolation on Health

Deadline: 21-Jun-24

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to launch the Research on Biopsychosocial Factors of Social Connectedness and Isolation on Health, Wellbeing, Illness, and Recovery to explain the underlying mechanisms, processes, and trajectories of social relationships and how these factors affect outcomes in human health, illness, recovery, and overall wellbeing.

Research areas of interest include understanding differences and similarities between objective social isolation and loneliness, how complex biopsychosocial processes are regulated in the body, what occurs in response to dysregulation, and antecedent processes that influence responses to the trajectories of social relationships. Studies that involve neurobiological approaches—for example, how social or isolated settings influence neurobiological systems, brain function, and/or behavior are welcome. Projects designed to study how changes in the quantity and/or quality of social connections influence health behaviors and outcomes are encouraged.

Focus Areas

Three areas of focus especially of interest to OppNet and participating NIH Office of the Director (ICOs) include, but are not limited to, those below:

Effects of social connectedness, connection, and isolation across the lifespan
- Affective and cognitive function during the aging process
- Contextual factors that increase or mitigate impact of disruption or isolation at different developmental time points, e.g.,
  - Caregivers of people with dementia, severe illness, end-of-life
  - Chronic illness or limited mobility
  - Perceived strength or quality of extant social connections
  - Recent diagnosis with a serious medical illness
  - Sleep changes across the lifespan (e.g. during adolescence, early parenthood, menopause)
  - Impact of transitions across the lifespan (e.g., transitioning from the family home to college or elsewhere; transitioning from full-time work to retirement)
- Molecular markers and mechanisms (e.g., epigenetic modifications, gene expression, microbiome alterations, telomere attrition) associated with changes in social connectedness
- Neurobiological developmental trajectories
- Protective and/or risk factors associated with isolation or connection disruption at different times in development and over the lifespan
  - (e.g., adolescence, middle-age men, people who receive a serious medical diagnosis, retirement, death of spouse/parent)
- Risky sexual activity and/or aggressive behaviors associated with connection trajectories
Mechanisms of connectedness, connection, and isolation
- Neurobiological factors
  - Impact on structure and function of the nervous system (central, peripheral, autonomic)
  - Impact on neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems
  - Impact on neural systems associated with basic affective, cognitive, and social processes
  - Importance of inter-individual neural synchrony in mediating or moderating effects in relationship trajectories
  - Neurobiological biosignatures that predict sensitivity to connection disruption or isolation
  - Neurobiological processes that could be targets to ameliorate negative effects of disruption or isolation
  - Neuro-physiological consequences of disruption or isolation on substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental illness
- Behavioral and environmental factors
  - The consequences of perceived isolation (e.g., loneliness) and/or objective/observed isolation on behavioral and clinical outcomes in adolescence and adulthood
  - Mechanisms or processes involving intersectional stigma and social disruption/isolation among specific populations or health/illness contexts, e.g.,
    - Autism, HIV, mental illness, recovery status, substance use disorder
    - Racial/ethnic differences, acculturation/bicultural adaptations and contributions to social integration versus isolation
    - Sex/gender differences; sexual and gender minorities
  - Whether the source of connection disruption leads to different processes or outcomes
    - E.g., Self-induced isolation versus isolation by others, or sense of undesired loneliness vs. enjoyed solitude
Knowledge representation and behavioral ontology development
- Development of clearly defined vocabularies and taxonomies
- Elucidating relationships across constructs and between constructs and measures,
- Integration of knowledge related to social connectedness, connection, and isolation into existing interoperable and shareable measures or ontology frameworks

Duration: The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 5 years.

Eligibility Criteria

Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
- The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
  - Hispanic-serving Institutions
  - Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  - Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
  - Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
  - Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
For-Profit Organizations
- Small Businesses
- For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)
Local Governments
- State Governments
- County Governments
- City or Township Governments
- Special District Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
Federal Governments
- Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
- U.S. Territory or Possession
Other
- Independent School Districts
- Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
- Regional Organizations
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions)