AFSP Focus Grants: Blue sky research grant
Funding Amount
Up to US $500,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Tracked since
- April 2026
From the program guidelines: “Each year we invite applications for innovative, high-risk, potentially high-yield projects that focus on specific areas of suicide prevention.”
Overview
The AFSP Focus Grants: Blue Sky Research Grant supports innovative and high-risk projects aimed at suicide prevention. Offering up to $500,000 annually for three years, it encourages groundbreaking studies that advance understanding in this critical area. Applicants should demonstrate the project's innovative nature and potential impact on suicide prevention. Collaboration with experienced researchers and healthcare partners is encouraged, and the studies are not limited to the U.S., promoting global insights into suicide research.
Each year we invite applications for innovative, high-risk, potentially high-yield projects that focus on specific areas of suicide prevention. These areas have been determined by AFSP and its Scientific Council, and are reviewed and updated annually.
Supports an innovative, impactful study in an area of suicide research that will achieve significant goals. This mechanism is intended for studies that, by their very nature, are clearly beyond the financial scope of our Innovation Grants.
Goal
Innovative projects in new areas of investigation with potentially high impact for the understanding and prevention of suicide. Open to all fields of inquiry.
Funding
Up to $500,000 per year for up to three years.
Requirements
The study must be highly innovative.The impact for suicide prevention must be clearly described. If impact will not be in the near term, please describe the path from discovery to implementation.The study is clearly beyond the financial scope of our Innovation Grants for reasons other than only increased sample size.The study must be grounded in a conceptual model.Evidence for the feasibility of data collection must be provided.The outcome must include suicidal behavior.This is not a mechanism for local program evaluation.Not limited to studies conducted in the U.S.
We encourage collaborative projects with investigators experienced in suicide research. Matching funds or partnering with a large healthcare system is encouraged.
What American Foundation for Suicide Prevention actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 70
- Total given
- $7.19M
- Median grant
- $63K
- Range
- $7,500–$500K
- By dollars: New York 16%, Ohio 13%, California 11%. Top recipient cities: New York, NY; Columbus, OH; Boston, MA.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Example grants
University of California Irvine-Adolfo Sequeira · Cambridge, CA
Scientific research
$500K
Bradley Hospital-Yovanska Duarte-Velez · Providence, RI
Scientific research
$500K
The Ohio State University-Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk · Columbus, OH
Scientific research
$500K
The Research Foundation for Mental Hygene Inc-Noam Schneck · Menands, NY
Scientific research
$500K
The George Washington University-Sherry Molock · Washington, DC
Scientific research
$498K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Suicide prevention
- Science research
- Mental health
Categories
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