NIH Funding for Research on Health Effects of Music

Research on the health benefits of music has been underway for some time, but in recent years the pace has accelerated. Now, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is reissuing funding opportunities to study music and health. Partners in the project are the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Scientists in this growing field are exploring the intersection of music, science, technology, and health, attempting to answer a range of questions. Among these are what are the biological and psychological mechanisms that underlie the effects of music on healthy and ill people. Researchers are also asking how recent advances in technology can be used to assist music in the promotion of well-being. Scientists are hoping to find out more about how best to use evidence-based music interventions.