Announcements  Wendy J. Weber, N.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
September 5, 2024 During my time at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), I have seen hundreds of grant applications and talked with many investigators about their research ideas. I am often asked what advice I have for developing an application. Read my top five recommendations in this blog post. Â |
 August 2024 Clinical Digest Many people turn to dietary supplements to prevent or slow the progression of certain eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, glaucoma, and dry eye disease. There is evidence that a combination of vitamins E and C, beta-carotene, and zinc (known as the AREDS formulation) may reduce the risk of developing advanced AMD. There is also some limited evidence that for less well-nourished populations, the carotenoids lutein/zeaxanthin may be associated with a reduction in progression to cataract surgery; however, whether supplementation would be beneficial for this population requires further study. Current data do not support dietary supplementation with vitamins A, C, and E for glaucoma or the use of cannabinoids for glaucoma treatment. Â |
 The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is seeking exceptional candidates for two research fellow positions within the Epidemiology Program (EP) of the Division of Intramural Research (DIR). The successful candidates would support the mission of the EP, which is to conduct high-impact, high-quality cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to provide a national public health perspective on high-priority topics identified in the NCCIH strategic plan (NCCIH Strategic Plan FY 2021â2025 | NCCIH (nih.gov)). The EP is responsible for the design, implementation, and analyses of data from high-quality surveys and longitudinal studies that address wide-ranging questions regarding the use of complementary health approaches, including incidence, prevalence, costs, and their application to, and efficacy for health conditions. Other priorities of the EP include disparities in the management, incidence and prevalence of chronic pain and other chronic diseases, and studies examining factors that contribute to resilience, well-being, and health restoration across chronic diseases. Application Deadline: November 22, 2024  |
Resources for Researchers Highlighted Funding Opportunities Request for Information (RFI): Inviting Comments on Early Career Stage Training Programs to Support Capacity Building for Music and Health Research NIH invites input from stakeholders, experts, communities, and members of the public including, but not limited to, researchers and trainees across academia, industry, and government; health care providers and health advocacy organizations; nongovernmental, scientific, and professional organizations; and Federal agencies. By September 30, 2024, submit your comments using the online comment form. Alternatively, responses may be sent to Music_Box@mail.nih.gov.  HEAL Initiative: NIH-DOD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory â Pragmatic and/or Implementation Science Demonstration Projects ((UG3/UH3) Clinical Trial Required) NCCIH is soliciting phased cooperative agreement research applications to conduct efficient, large-scale pragmatic clinical trials and/or implementation science demonstration projects within the infrastructure of the NIH-DOD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory (PMC) on nonopioid approaches to the management of pain and other comorbid conditions, including complementary and integrative approaches used alone and in combination with standard care (e.g., mindfulness meditation combined with standard pharmaceutical treatment), and improving prevention and treatment for opioid misuse and addiction in U.S. Veterans, military personnel, and their families. Supporting the trials, the PMC has established a coordinating center that provides national leadership and technical expertise for all aspects of health care system (HCS)-focused research including assistance to UG3/UH3 grant recipients. The receipt date is November 7, 2024.  Upcoming Events September 12, 2024, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET; Virtual Please join us for a pre-application technical assistance webinar to discuss the NIH HEAL Initiative: Coordinated Approaches to Pain Care in Health Care Systems (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO; RFA-NS-24-041). The purpose of this webinar is to provide potential grant applicants with an overview of the funding opportunity and address questions from the scientific community. The webinar will feature highlights of application considerations from program staff at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and a presentation on review requirements from NCCIHâs Office of Scientific Review. Registration is required.  September 13, 2024, 10:40 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ET; Virtual or Building 31C, 6th Floor, Bethesda, MD NIH Campus Save the date for the next meeting of the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health (NACCIH). View the agenda.  September 24-25, 2024; Neuroscience Center Building, 6001 Executive Blvd., Rockville, MD 20852 The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements is partnering with the Trans-NIH Resilience Research Working Group to convene a workshop, âAdvancing the Biomedical Science of Resilience: A Discussion of Measures and Metrics.â Organizers intend to use this workshop to identify and evaluate measures and metrics necessary to fully capture protective factors that elicit resilience and optimize human health across the lifespan. Participants will include NIH program staff and resilience researchers from academia, industry, and other Federal agencies.   |
