IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4704 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 28, 2020 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation 

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. 


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HR 4704 RFS

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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

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

9 on the rise, increasing 10.7 to 14.0 deaths per 

10 100,000 people from 2001 to 2017. 

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

12 among people in the United States and the second13 leading cause of death for young people between the 

14 ages of 15 and 34. 

15 (3) The National Science Foundation funds re16 search that is improving our basic understanding of 

17 factors with potential relevance to suicide, including 

18 potential relevance to prevention and treatment. 

19 (4) Despite progress in mental health research, 

20 current gaps exist in scientific understanding and 

21 basic knowledge of human neural, genetic, cognitive, 

22 perceptual, behavioral, social, and environmental fac23 tors with potential relevance to suicide. 


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HR 4704 RFS

1 SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH. 

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

3 in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes 

4 of Health and the Director of the National Institute on 

5 Mental Health where appropriate, shall, subject to the 

6 availability of appropriations, award grants on a competi7 tive, merit-reviewed basis to institutions of higher edu8 cation (or consortia of such institutions) to support multi9 disciplinary, fundamental research with potential rel10 evance to suicide, including potential relevance to preven11 tion and treatment, including but not limited to— 

12 (1) basic understanding of human social behav13 ior; 

14 (2) the neural basis of human cognition; 

15 (3) basic understanding of cognitive, linguistic, 

16 social, cultural and biological processes related to 

17 human development across the lifespan; 

18 (4) basic understanding of perceptual, motor, 

19 and cognitive processes, and their interaction, in 

20 typical human behavior; and 

21 (5) basic understanding of the relevance of drug 

22 and alcohol abuse. 

23 (b) To promote the development of early career re24 searchers, in awarding funds under subsection (a) the Na25 tional Science Foundation shall encourage applications 


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HR 4704 RFS

1 submitted by early career researchers, including doctoral 

2 students or postdoctoral researchers. 

Passed the House of Representatives January 27, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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