The Wellcome Trust is accepting international researchers’ applications for its 2024/25 Mental Health Award. This prestigious initiative is designed to advance the understanding of mental health conditions, specifically anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

This award aims to fund innovative projects that merge computational and experimental neuroscience approaches to improve their comprehension of the symptoms associated with these mental health issues. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, the award seeks to generate new insights that can lead to better interventions and treatments.

The award, supported by Wellcome, is open to researchers at various career stages, from early-career to established professionals, and encourages applications from diverse and interdisciplinary teams. With a funding amount ranging from £2-5 million per project and a duration of 3 to 5 years, this award provides substantial resources for groundbreaking research. It is an exciting opportunity for researchers worldwide (except mainland China) to contribute to the mental health science field and significantly impact public health.

Mental Health Research Background:

In recent years, mental health research has increasingly recognized the importance of symptom-based approaches rather than traditional diagnostic categories. This shift is crucial as it allows researchers to explore the mechanisms underlying specific symptoms deeper, paving the way for more effective and personalized interventions. The Mental Health Award emphasizes this approach, encouraging researchers to propose projects that address the development, maintenance, or resolution of symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

Key Details and Dates

• Application Deadline: 23 July 2024, 17:00 BST
• Result Announcement Dates: December 2024
• Scope Check Deadline: 9 July 2024
• Interviews: 3 – 5 December 2024
• Funding Type: Grant
• Organizer: Wellcome Trust
• Eligible Countries: Worldwide (except mainland China)
• Eligible Gender: All genders
• Target Group: Researchers (early-career to established)
• Focus Area: Mental health, neuroscience, anxiety, depression, psychosis
• Study Level: All research levels
• Duration: 3 to 5 years
• Program Language: English
• Host Country: Worldwide (excluding mainland China)

Benefits and Financial Aids

Recipients of the Mental Health Award will benefit from substantial financial support, including:

• Funding Amount: £2-5 million per project
• Eligible Costs:
  • Staff salaries
  • Materials and consumables
  • Access charges
  • Equipment costs
  • Animal care costs
  • Contract research organization fees
  • Clinical research costs
  • Fieldwork expenses
  • Travel and subsistence
  • Overseas allowances
  • Public engagement and patient involvement costs
  • Involvement of people with lived experience
  • Overheads
  • Continuing professional development
  • Open access charges
  • Inflation allowance

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be a team of researchers from any relevant discipline
• Be based at an eligible organization worldwide (excluding mainland China)
• Be at any career stage
• Include diverse and interdisciplinary team members
• Have a collaborative plan involving mental health practitioners and lived experience experts

Who Can’t Apply?

Applicants are ineligible if they:

• Plan to transfer grant funds into mainland China
• Cannot demonstrate sufficient time and resources for the project
• Are they already an applicant on two applications for this call
• Have reached the maximum number of Wellcome awards for their career stage

Host Organization Requirements

The administering organization must:

• Your administering organization can be based anywhere except mainland China.
• Provide the necessary space and resources for the project duration
• Adhere to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (if based in the UK)
• Allow staff to undertake training and continuing professional development (CPD) for ten days a year
• Offer onboarding and planning for new team members
• Ensure that researchers have the same status and benefits as other academic staff
• Eligible administering organizations include:
  • Higher education institutions
  • Research institutes
  • Non-academic healthcare organizations
  • Non-profit or non-governmental research organizations

Note: Commercial organizations cannot apply as administering organizations but can be co-applicants or collaborators.

Collaboration Agreements:
For collaborations, partners must establish agreements covering:

• Confidentiality
• Publication rights
• Access to background intellectual property
• Ownership and management of foreground intellectual property
• Protection and commercialization of intellectual property

Note: The lead applicant’s administering organization must own all foreground intellectual property and lead commercialization efforts. Refer to Wellcome’s intellectual property policy for guidance.

Research Environment:
Wellcome values diverse and inclusive research environments. Excellent research thrives where people from all backgrounds are respected and supported. A strong research environment includes:

• Quality infrastructure
• Inclusive, ethical, and community-engaged practices
• Open and transparent culture

Proposal Requirements

A research proposal must include:

• A focus on understanding the mechanisms of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and psychosis
• A computational component using data- or theory-driven methods
• An experimental component involving at least one experimental model (cellular, animal, or human)
• A collaborative plan with mental health practitioners
• Involvement of people with lived experience
• Consideration of translational impact and real-world application
• Use of recommended common measures for research with human participants

Note: Read the detailed requirements on the official call.

Required Documents

Applicants must submit:

• Completed application form on the Wellcome Funding platform
• Proof of eligibility and project relevance
• Detailed research proposal
• Budget and justification for requested funding
• Collaboration agreements (if applicable)
• Ethical approval documents (if applicable)

Selection Process

Application Process highlights are as follows:

• Submit Application: Complete and submit the application on the Wellcome Funding platform by the deadline.
• Eligibility Check: Initial screening for eligibility and relevance.
• Shortlisting: Assessment by a diverse committee based on specified criteria.
• Written Expert Review: External expert review of shortlisted applications
• Interview: Online interviews with shortlisted applicants.
• Final Decision: Funding decisions made by Wellcome’s Mental Health Team, with notifications sent out in December 2024.

Assessment Criteria:

• Research Question and Methodology (40%)
• Team Expertise and Suitability (20%)
• Lived Experience Involvement (20%)
• Research Location and Environment (20%)

How to Apply?

• Read Guidelines: Thoroughly read the funding call.
• Prepare Application: Complete the application form with all required details.
• Submit to Organization: Apply the authorized approver at your administering organization.
• Organizational Approval: Ensure the organization reviews and approves the application.
• Submit to Wellcome: The approved application must be submitted to Wellcome by 17:00 BST on 23 July 2024.

 

 

 

Apply Now

 

 

 

 

Further details and information regarding the Wellcome Trus Mental Health Award are available on the official Wellcome Website.

 

 

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