Scientific Areas of Integrated Review Groups (IRGs)
For a listing
of the Scientific Review Administrator and membership roster for each
study section, click on the study section roster under the study section name within the IRG
listed below or go to the study section index
(study sections listed alphabetically) and click on the specified roster next
to the name of the study section.
Last updated on 6th, October, 2004
|
Referral & Review |
Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior IRG [RPHB] 
|
The
Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior [RPHB] IRG considers applications
covering a wide range of biological, psychological, cultural and social
conditions and traits that affect the manifestation, prevention, treatment or
management of physical and mental diseases and disorders. Emphasis may be
placed on individual behavior, interpersonal relations, or group contexts.
Populations studied may include clinic, community-diagnosed, symptomatic and
high-risk groups, and research may be concentrated on specific age groups or
address questions of change or transition across the life course.
Interventions may be purely behavioral, or may involve non-behavioral
elements such as pharmacological treatments and devices. Specific areas of
interest include (but are not limited to): cognitive and affective processes
and markers of disease and illness, gene-environment interactions as they
affect individual behavior; behavioral and pharmacologic interventions; risk
and protective processes and models, intra- and interpersonal interventions;
social development and interpersonal processes, aggressive behavior and
violence, and prevention and intervention methodology; intervention and risk
factor modification studies, interactions between social and psychological
processes and disease management; psychological and biobehavioral
responses to disease screening and management; rehabilitation of conditions
associated with psychological, physical, communicative, and social
disability; and social, cognitive, and affective conditions and processes
that influence disease and disorder across the lifespan. The following study sections are included within
the RPHB IRG: Psychosocial
Development, Risk, and Prevention [PDRP] (Formerly
RPHB-1) Psychosocial
and Developmental Processes, Personality, and Behavior Fellowship Study
Section [F 11]
Psychosocial
Development, Risk, and Prevention Study
Section [PDRP]
(Formerly
RPHB-1)
The Psychosocial Development, Risk, and Prevention
[PDRP] Study Section reviews applications that focus on the identification
of risk and protective factors, processes and models and design and
testing of intra- and inter-personal preventive interventions related to
social development across the life span. Social contexts of interest
include family relationships, intimate partner and marital relationships,
social networks, peer groups, schools, and workplace settings. Research
designs and methods may use quantitative or qualitative approaches.
Research on risk and protective factors and preventive interventions may
be focused on alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse; violence, abuse and
anti-social behavior; unintended injury; psychopathology; high-risk sexual
behavior; unintended pregnancy; academic underachievement; and other
negative outcomes and co-morbid conditions. Specific areas covered by PDRP: ·
Interpersonal
and contextual processes leading to or protecting from negative
developmental outcomes across the life span; studies examining the
interaction between social and interpersonal risk factors and individual
differences in susceptibility to adverse outcomes; risk-taking and
risk-avoiding behaviors. ·
Intrapersonal interventions: Social skills, coping
skills, emotion regulation strategies and social competency training;
academic tutorials; psychopharmacologic, cognitive-behavioral, and other
psychotherapeutic approaches designed to assist at-risk individuals or
subsets of the population, including prevention of secondary conditions
and disorders. ·
Interpersonal interventions: Marital and/or family
interventions, management, or resource development; parenting skills
training and peer relations; school-based interventions, teacher/student
skill development; resistance skills training; social norm development and
change; communication skills for the general population [e.g., all
children in a school], at-risk individuals [e.g., children of drug-using
or abusive parents], and high-risk groups [e.g., those already exhibiting
predictive symptoms of disorder or condition], including prevention of
secondary conditions and disorders. ·
Social development and interpersonal processes:
Parent-child, sibling, marital, intimate partner relationships and the
processes involved in formation, dissolution, satisfaction, and distress;
caregiving relationships;
attachment models and the development and maintenance of relationships;
friendship, peer relations, and social support; influence of parental and
marital interaction on children and other members of the family;
intergenerational relationships; social competence, aggression, social
withdrawal and isolation. ·
Domestic violence; child abuse; neglect; sexual
assault; victimization [e.g., fear of bullying]; peer aggression; elder
abuse; school and workplace violence; relation to drugs and alcohol,
psychopathology, and physical condition. ·
Prevention methodology: Studies that examine the
issues of structure, content, and delivery associated with successful
preventive interventions including: developmental timing, measurement,
recruitment and retention, booster, durability of effects, adaptability,
intervention fidelity, delivery channels, and mediational processes.
PDRP has the following shared interests within the
RPHB IRG: ·
Studies of risk and interventions that primarily
affect social or psychological development could be assigned to PDRP as
could preventive interventions for physical diseases and disorders.
Studies focused on adaptive or maladaptive social development and include
assessment of social cognitive strategies, individual differences in
personality, or motivation could also be assigned to PDRP as could
applications using social cognitive strategies as a target of preventive
interventions. Studies of risk and interventions for disabling or
cognitive impairment, or studies of caregivers of people with disabling or
cognitive impairments, could be assigned to BMIO. ·
Studies focused on personality or social cognitive
mechanisms and processes in interpersonal settings that do not reflect a
development focus could be assigned to SPIP. PDRP has the following shared interests outside the
RPHB IRG: · With the Health of the Population [HOP] IRG: Applications that include basic behavioral research and interventions to change health behavior at the community, institutional or population levels could be referred to the HOP IRG, including epidemiological studies and those that address clinical nursing practice related to the care of persons, that have an emphasis on nursing science, or that emphasize the organization of health service delivery. Applications with a developmental focus that are designed to affect health risk behaviors by changing the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivation or behavior of individuals or small groups could be assigned to PDRP. ·
With the
Behavioral and Biobehavioral Processes [BBBP]
IRG: The PDRP study section shares an interest in
developmental and behavioral disorders with the BBBP IRG. Applications focused on treatment and interventions
for existing developmental disorders and disability or on particular
disorders in children or adolescents could be assigned to the BBBP IRG.
Applications to study or develop preventive interventions targeting
interpersonal processes or that focus on understanding risk and protective
factors could be assigned to PDRP. Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention Study
Section [PRDP] (Formerly RPHB-2)
The Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention [PRDP]
Study Section reviews research applications for development and testing of
behavioral and biobehavioral interventions to prevent or
reduce risk factors for physical conditions, diseases and disorders. Biobehavioral aspects of affect,
stress, symptom perception, social support, individual differences, and
other psychosocial traits or states related to pathology of somatic organs
or systems are included, as well as applications studying interactions
between behavioral, social, psychological, and physiological factors and
conditions for which individuals receive health care. Research may involve
use of animal models of specific disorders, although the principal focus
is on human subjects
research. Behavioral intervention and risk factor reduction studies may
involve components consisting of pharmacological treatments or
interventions using devices. Clinical studies may be designed specifically
to investigate the relationships between basic psychosocial or biobehavioral variables and
biological bases of disease. Specific areas covered by PRDP: ·
Behavioral and biobehavioral intervention and risk factor
modification studies regarding behavioral or biological risk factors
or health behaviors and their influence on behavior or biological
outcomes. The interactions of interventions with biological,
psychological, or social variables to modify behavioral or preclinical
outcomes are included. Intervention targets may include behaviors [e.g.,
eating behavior, intervention regimen, adherence or lifestyle change],
behavioral risk factors [e.g., diet, physical activity, or smoking] or
biological outcomes [e.g., obesity, wound healing, atherosclerotic lesion
regression, immune function or remission]. ·
Management of somatic illness and patient education
in which psychological or social adjustments are the predominant variables
under study in relation to factors such as distress, emotional well-being,
coping, cognitive appraisal, adherence, patient education, self-care,
self-efficacy or self-management; research in which the outcomes
studied are changes in quality of life, psychosocial adjustment, or social
and cultural factors. ·
Behavioral interventions as primary or adjunct
treatments designed to prevent or slow the progression of co-morbid or
secondary disease and disorder. ·
Treatment of distress or psychological reactions
related to diagnosis or genetic testing for physical disorders or
conditions. ·
Relationship of biobehavioral responses to changes in neuroendocrine, metabolic, or
immune system function associated with somatic diseases or conditions in
humans. ·
Interactions between psychological processes and
disease management, such as the effects of depression, anxiety, symptom
perception, social, cultural and other factors on adherence or compliance
to medical or behavioral interventions, or on medical decision making. ·
Study of psychological and social aspects of
screening for somatic diseases. Screening to identify, prevent or treat
physical or psychological symptoms for patients at risk for physical diseases or
disorders including risk factor screening, genetic testing, screening for
treatment side effects, blood donation and psychological distress caused
by the screening process. ·
Biobehavioral responses to stressors studied in the context of
interventions to prevent physical diseases, such as changes in mood,
eating behavior, medical adherence, cardiovascular reactivity, neuroendocrine function, or
sleep. ·
Intervention methodology; studies that examine the
issues of structure, content, and delivery associated with successful
interventions including: developmental timing, measurement, recruitment
and retention, booster or maintenance interventions, durability of
effects, adaptability, intervention fidelity, delivery channels, and mediational processes. PRDP has the following shared interests within the
RPHB IRG: ·
Studies of risk factors and interventions that
primarily affect social development could be assigned to PDRP. Studies of
risk and interventions for physical diseases and disorders could be
assigned to PRDP. ·
Studies of behavioral and social risk factors or
interventions intended to prevent somatic and cognitive diseases or
disorders could be assigned to PRDP. Studies of the treatment, management
and rehabilitation of disabling physical or cognitive impairment could be
assigned to BMIO. PRDP has the following shared interests outside the
RPHB IRG: ·
With the Health of the Population [HOP]
IRG: Studies that examine the interaction of biobehavioral and
socio-environmental factors with regard to the etiology, course,
prevalence, or consequences of health disorders and diseases could be
assigned to the HOP IRG. Studies of interventions operating primarily
through institutional, community, or policy change could also be assigned
to the HOP IRG, as could studies that directly address clinical nursing
practice related to the care of persons, that have an emphasis on nursing
science, or that emphasize the organization of health service delivery.
Applications focused on interventions to prevent physical or cognitive
diseases by changing the knowledge, skills, and motivation of individuals,
studies closely related to intervention development, and studies of
individual and situational factors that influence persons to seek health
care could be assigned to PRDP. ·
With the Behavioral and Biobehavioral Processes [BBBP]
IRG: Studies focused on basic biopsychological mechanisms such as affect,
emotions, physiology, pharmacologic action on behavior, and stress could
be assigned to the BBBP IRG, while studies that emphasize the effects of
social contexts on biopsychological mechanisms or their role in
risk reduction and disease prevention could be assigned to
PRDP. ·
With the Oncological Sciences [ONC]
IRG: Studies related to non-behavioral cancer
therapeutics and prevention could be assigned to the ONC IRG. Studies of
individual or small group behavioral risk factors could be assigned to
PRDP. ·
With the Cardiovascular Sciences [CVS]
IRG: Applications focused on the development, physiology,
and pathophysiology of the
heart and circulatory systems could be assigned to the CVS IRG.
Applications concerned with behavioral approaches to the prevention of
cardiovascular diseases, including psychological and lifestyle approaches, could be
assigned to PRDP. ·
With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition, and
Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG: Applications concerned with adaptation and response
at the hormonal or cellular level, those that focus on genetics, molecular
biology, cellular or organ physiology and integrative biology, and
applications that use methodologies focused on regulation at the cellular
and molecular level may be assigned to the EMNR IRG. Applications focused
on human behavioral aspects of maternal nutrition as a risk factor or
intervention for pregnancy outcomes, those concerned with modification of
individual behaviors, attitudes, psychosocial supports and resources as
they affect prevention or treatment of obesity or diabetes could be
assigned to PRDP. ·
With the Musculoskeletal, Oral and Skin Sciences
[MOSS] IRG: Applications focused on musculoskeletal, oral, or
skin diseases, or their functional consequences, could be assigned to the
MOSS IRG. Applications involving behavioral approaches to the prevention
of musculoskeletal oral, or skin diseases, including their psychological
components, could be assigned to PRDP. ·
With the Digestive Sciences [DIG]
IRG: Applications focused on physiologic or biologic
processes of gastrointestinal disorders could be referred to the DIG IRG.
Applications with primary emphasis on psychological, behavioral or social
risk factors as well as clinical trials of behavioral medicine and
lifestyle-based gastrointestinal prevention strategies and therapies could
be referred to PRDP. ·
With the Respiratory Sciences [RES]
IRG: Studies related to non-behavioral respiratory
disease therapeutics and prevention could be assigned to the RES IRG.
Studies of individual or small group behavioral risk factors and
behavioral interventions intended to reduce the risk of respiratory
disease could be assigned to PRDP. Behavioral Medicine Interventions and
Outcomes Study Section [BMIO]
(Formerly RPHB-3)
The Behavioral Medicine Interventions and Outcomes
[BMIO] Study Section reviews behavioral and biobehavioral approaches to treatment,
management and rehabilitation related to physical or cognitive impairment;
study of sequelae of
diseases or disorders; and biobehavioral aspects of affect, stress, pain,
symptom perception, social support, individual differences, and other
psychosocial traits or states associated with or generated as a response
to pathology. Included are applications focused on interactions between
experiential, behavioral, social, psychological, and physiological factors
and conditions for cognitive and neurological impairments as well as
studies examining disability due to cognitive or physical impairments and
effects on daily living and social support. Rehabilitation research
includes studies of conditions associated with disability, including
diseases, disorders or injuries that are associated with potentially
chronic impairments [excluding time-limited reversible conditions].
Behavioral, pharmacological and device intervention studies are included
if they are designed specifically to investigate relationships between
basic psychosocial or biobehavioral variables and biological bases
of disease. Research applications may involve use of animal models of
specific disorders. Specific areas covered by BMIO: ·
Cognitive, psychological, social, and cultural
factors affecting the experience and interpretation of pain or physical
symptoms and their relationship to diagnosis, expression, or treatment of
somatic diseases or conditions ·
Psychological, behavioral or biological responses to
interventions designed to reduce stress, distress or pain, or the study of
reparative processes involved in somatic diseases or conditions ·
Biobehavioral responses to neuroendocrine or immune factors. Any aspects
of behavioral interactions with neuroendocrine or immune system function
associated with somatic diseases or conditions ·
Interactions between symptoms and health behavior
change and management. Effects of pain, symptom perception, depression,
anxiety, social, cultural and other factors on decision-making and
compliance ·
Screening and biobehavioral interventions for physical
symptoms and chronic or acute pain conditions when study of mechanisms
[e.g., mechanism of pathogenesis or response to treatment] is involved;
includes genetic testing ·
Management of chronic diseases and patient education
in which psychological or social adjustments to physical disease are the
predominant variables under study in relation to factors such as distress,
emotional well-being, coping, cognitive appraisal, adherence, patient
education, self-care, or self-management; projects in which the outcomes
studied are changes in quality of life, psychosocial adjustment, or social
and cultural factors; includes genetic counseling ·
Behavioral interventions as primary or adjunctive
treatments; studies of behavioral interventions designed to remedy or slow
the progression of disease and disorder [e.g., behavior therapy for
insomnia, cognitive intervention for early dementia] ·
Rehabilitation of conditions associated with
disability including cognitive, physical, communicative and social role
functioning BMIO has the following shared interests within the
RPHB IRG: ·
Studies of consequences of interventions that
primarily affect social development and studies of behavioral and social
risk factors associated with somatic and cognitive diseases or disorders
could be assigned to PRDP. Studies of behavioral and social factors
associated with the treatment, management and rehabilitation of disabling
physical or cognitive conditions could be assigned to BMIO. BMIO has the following shared interests outside the
RPHB IRG: ·
With the Health of the Population [HOP]
IRG: Studies that examine the interaction of biobehavioral and
socio-environmental factors with regard to the etiology, course,
prevalence, or consequences of health disorders and diseases could be
assigned to the HOP IRG. Studies of interventions operating primarily
through institutional, community, or policy change could also be assigned
to the HOP IRG, as could studies that directly address clinical nursing
practice related to the care of persons, that have an emphasis on nursing
science, or that emphasize the organization of health service delivery.
Applications focused on interventions to manage or recover from physical
or cognitive diseases by changing the knowledge, skills, and motivation of
individuals, studies closely related to development of disease management
strategies, and studies of individual and situational factors that
influence persons to seek rehabilitative health care could be assigned to
BMIO. ·
With the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes [BBBP]
IRG: Applications focused on treatment and interventions
for existing psychological disorders and disability could be assigned to
the BBBP IRG. Applications focused on treatment and interventions for
existing physical conditions, including pain and symptom perception and
issues of compliance, could be assigned to BMIO. ·
With the Oncological Sciences [ONC]
IRG: Applications related to non-behavioral cancer
treatment could be assigned to the ONC IRG. Applications concerned with behavioral treatments of,
or rehabilitation from, cancers, including their psychological components,
could be assigned to BMIO. ·
With the Hematology [HEME] IRG: Applications focused on hematological diseases,
including their behavioral consequences, could be assigned to the HEME
IRG. Health education or training directed to the health care provider,
not the patient, could also be assigned to the HEME IRG. Applications
concerned with behavioral treatments of, or rehabilitation from,
hematological diseases, including their psychological components, could be
referred to BMIO. ·
With the Cardiovascular Sciences [CVS]
IRG: Applications focused on the development, physiology,
and pathophysiology of the
heart and circulatory systems could be assigned to the CVS IRG.
Applications concerned with behavioral treatments of, or rehabilitation
from, cardiovascular diseases, including psychological approaches, could
be assigned to the BMIO. ·
With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition, and
Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG: Applications concerned with adaptation and response
at the hormonal or cellular level, those that focus on genetics, molecular
biology, cellular or organ physiology and integrative biology, and
applications that use methodologies focused on regulation at the cellular
and molecular level could be assigned to the EMNR IRG. Applications
focused on modification of individual behaviors, attitudes, psychosocial
supports and resources as they affect treatment of, or rehabilitation
from, obesity, diabetes, and insulin secretion and action could be
assigned to BMIO. ·
With the Musculoskeletal, Oral and Skin Sciences
[MOSS] IRG: Applications focused on musculoskeletal, oral, or
skin diseases, or their functional consequences, could be assigned to the
MOSS IRG. Applications concerned with behavioral treatments of, or
rehabilitation from, musculoskeletal, oral, or skin diseases, including
their psychological components, could be assigned to BMIO. ·
With the Digestive Sciences [DIG]
IRG: Applications focused on physiological or biological
processes of gastrointestinal disorders could be referred to the DIG IRG.
Applications concerned with behavioral treatments of, or rehabilitation
from, gastrointestinal disorders could be referred to BMIO. |