I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4704 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2019 

Mr. MCADAMS (for himself, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, 

and Mr. BALDERSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advancing Research 

5 to Prevent Suicide Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The rate of Americans dying by suicide is 

4 on the rise, increasing 10.7 to 14.0 deaths per 

5 100,000 people from 2001 to 2017. 

6 (2) Suicide is the tenth-leading cause of death 

7 among people in the United States and the second8 leading cause of death for young people between the 

9 ages of 15 and 34. 

10 (3) The National Science Foundation funds re11 search that is improving our basic understanding of 

12 factors with potential relevance to suicide, including 

13 potential relevance to prevention and treatment. 

14 (4) Despite progress in mental health research, 

15 current gaps exist in scientific understanding and 

16 basic knowledge of human neural, genetic, cognitive, 

17 perceptual, behavioral, social, and environmental fac18 tors with potential relevance to suicide. 

19 SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH. 

20 (a) The Director of the National Science Foundation, 

21 in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes 

22 of Health and the Director of the National Institute on 

23 Mental Health where appropriate, shall award grants on 

24 a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to institutions of high25 er education (or consortia of such institutions) to support 

26 multidisciplinary, fundamental research with potential relVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:10 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4704.IH H4704

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1 evance to suicide, including potential relevance to preven2 tion and treatment, including but not limited to— 

3 (1) basic understanding of human social behav4 ior; 

5 (2) the neural basis of human cognition; 

6 (3) basic understanding of cognitive, linguistic, 

7 social, cultural, and biological processes related to 

8 human development across the lifespan; and 

9 (4) basic understanding of perceptual, motor, 

10 and cognitive processes, and their interaction, in 

11 typical human behavior. 

12 (b) To promote the development of early career re13 searchers, in awarding funds under subsection (a) the Na14 tional Science Foundation shall encourage applications 

15 submitted by early career researchers, including doctoral 

16 students or postdoctoral researchers. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS