AFSP's mission is to reduce the national suicide rate by 20% by the year 2025. The organization aims to achieve this by focusing on the biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors known to contribute to the suicide burden in the United States.
The AFSP suicide research grants program supports research focusing on several priority areas defined biennially, in line with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Research Prioritization Task Force. These areas include diversity in suicide prevention research, evaluation of technological tools for suicide prevention, and research related to survivors of suicide loss. Additionally, AFSP offers Pilot Innovation Grants, providing seed funding for new projects that could potentially lead to larger investigations. These grants cater to investigators at all levels and encourage applications from a wide range of academic disciplines. Funded research should aim to enhance understanding and prevention of suicide, with feasibility studies and projects with an essential focus on suicide or suicide prevention being considered. Grants are designed to support research from diverse fields such as psychiatry, medicine, psychology, and more.