This Notice is a reissue of and supersedes NOT-MD-19-001 - Notice of Special Interest in Research on the Health of Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations which calls for research on the health of sexual and gender minority populations. SGM populations include, but are 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.
Although there has been an increase in SGM-focused health research in recent years, there remains a need for further research on the health of these populations. This Notice encourages research that describes the biological, clinical, behavioral, and social processes that affect the health and development of SGM populations and individuals and their families, and that leads to the development of acceptable and appropriate health interventions and health service delivery methods that will enhance health and development of these populations.
Types of research which are relevant to this Notice include, but are not limited to:
- Epidemiological research that examines patterns of risk, morbidity and mortality related to diseases or health conditions that have not been adequately studied in SGM populations.
- Etiological or mechanistic research examining how biological, behavioral, social, and/or environmental factors contribute to health outcomes and health disparities for SGM populations.
- Research leading to interventions to ameliorate health disparities in SGM populations, including formative research to identify and develop appropriate intervention content as well as pilot testing of interventions to establish feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy.
- Large-scale design, implementation and evaluation of preventive and/or treatment interventions addressing health issues in SGM populations.