Understanding Suicide Through Leading Scientific Research
Since its founding in 1987, AFSP has led the way in advancing suicide prevention research by funding innovative studies, growing a vibrant scientific community, and ensuring that new discoveries reach those who can put them into action. With the generous support of our donors, AFSP remains the largest private funder of suicide prevention research and is wholeheartedly committed to leveraging our findings toward lifesaving strategies.
Funded Studies: Investing in the Future of Suicide Prevention Research
For AFSP, this was a year of action and empowering communities. We funded grants for 36 new research studies totaling $8.5 million. To date, AFSP’s diverse portfolio amounts to more than $25 million in grants exploring the many factors contributing to suicide and the most effective ways to prevent it. Our Scientific Advisory, composed of more than 250 experts, helps shape the direction of these investments, ensuring that every study advances our understanding of this complex issue.
Growing Our Scientific Community
Beyond funding, research at AFSP is about community. In 2025, AFSP hosted its third Mentoring Immersion for Early Career Researchers (MIECR) program, designed to help early career investigators develop the skills and support networks they need to succeed. Along with their mentors, 15 participants from across the world engaged in didactic sessions, collaborative activities, and intense reworking of their AFSP grant applications. At its heart, MIECR is a reminder that science progresses when we look out for one another, and when experienced mentors take the time to guide, encourage, and inspire the next generation.
AFSP also brought researchers together through conferences and meetings, such as the Suicide Research Symposium, a free and virtual opportunity for researchers to meet, foster collaboration, and share purpose. These gatherings reflect our belief that suicide prevention cannot be advanced alone: it requires the strength of a connected, global community willing to learn from one another and work toward solutions together.
Delivering Our Findings to Those Who Need It
Equally vital is our commitment to sharing the findings of the research we fund to help develop a community where everyone can knowledgably talk about suicide prevention. This year, AFSP launched a newly restructured Research webpage, making it easier for the public, clinicians, and researchers to access the latest science. Through mediums like the quarterly Research Connection series and monthly Research Connection Roundup, we translate technical findings into accessible stories, ensuring that knowledge does not remain confined to journals and reaches the communities and individuals who need it most.
From funding groundbreaking studies to mentoring the next generation and amplifying our findings for the public, AFSP’s research efforts this year reflect what it means to look out for each other: learning more, sharing more, and saving more lives.
