The National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research has announced nine grants totaling $950,000 in support of studies of gun violence and policy across the country.

The awards include four new research grants and one extension to an existing project, on topics including links between household gun ownership levels and rates of firearm and non-firearm suicide among African Americans; firearm suicide among racial/ethnic minorities; and demographic and healthcare utilization patterns in firearm suicide among women. The collaborative also awarded three grants in support of postdoctoral research, including a project aimed at quantifying the impact of different types of policies on firearm acquisition and the incidence of mass shootings; an analysis of the role of mentoring and social relations among high-risk youth involved in the Cure Violence intervention model; and one dissertation grant for a study of the link between intimate partner violence and firearm suicide.

Seeded with a $20 million gift from Arnold Ventures, administered by the RAND Corporation, and supported by funders including Wells Fargo, Missouri Foundation for Health, and the Conrad N. Hilton and Harry Frank Guggenheim foundations, the collaborative has awarded a total of $21 million in support of forty-four research projects.

According to collaborative director Andrew Morral, with the deadly toll from gun violence increasing in many U.S. cities over the past year, it is critically important to build a strong evidence base for what is and is not effective in preventing gun violence. "These projects address some of the critical unanswered questions in gun policy," said Morral, "and will help to inform the policies and programs aiming to prevent gun violence and save lives."

(Photo credit: National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research)