Invitation for Research Applications
Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities
(MHDD) Program
Research Grants Available for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
in Children, Adolescents and/or Adults
The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Program (MHDD) is dedicated to research capacity
building in mental health and neurodevelopmental disabilities through collaborative interdisciplinary
research. The MHDD is a joint effort between the Children's Hospital Boston at the Harvard Medical
School (HMS).
This specific announcement invites research project grant applications from investigators based in Turkey.
We will support research projects conducted in Turkey involving MHDD:
• Research that reflects innovative approaches and techniques
• Research that will develop necessary pilot data for seeking larger awards
• New investigators who demonstrate promise and who have a supportive environment for their
research
Relevant Studies:
Developmental, behavioral, emotional and cognitive aspects of serious neurodevelopmental disorders;
these may include the intersection of any mental disorder with a serious neurodevelopmental disorder,
mental retardation, autism or related conditions.
Interdisciplinary studies involving collaborative studies between psychiatry, or child/adolescent psychiatry,
with clinical psychology, developmental biology, epidemiology, genetics, molecular biology and
neuroimaging are encouraged.
Proposed studies ought to have an analytic rather than a descriptive approach, and include properly
selected and well justified clinical or observational studies utilizing standardized, operational measures
and control groups when indicated. Intervention studies and services research pertaining to MHDD may
also be included.
Clinical trials of innovative drugs will not be funded.
Research Grant Support
Budget: Up to 10.000 USD for one-year awards; proposed budget dollar amount less than the maximum
allowed is encouraged.
Requisites: Open to investigators at universities, research institutes or non-profit foundations, who are
working as senior residents/postdoctoral fellows, assistant professors or associate professors.
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Letter of Intent:
Prospective investigators should submit an electronic Letter of Intent (LOI) in English giving:
(1) Full Name
(2) Address including telephone, fax and e-mail
(3) Current position
(4) Institutional affiliation
(5) Proposed title of the research project
(6) Names, positions and institutional affiliations of any proposed co-investigators (preferably including the
name of a key scientific mentor)
(7) CV including bibliography (with specific reference to peer-reviewed publications, books/chapters,
scientific reports/reviews/monographs and presentations at scientific meetings
(8) 1250 word research proposal including: A. Specific aims and study hypotheses (250 words); B.
Background Literature/Significance/Previous Studies (including those conducted by the investigators
related to the current proposal) (500 words); C. Study Design/Methods/Budget (including study population,
subject selection, measures, interpretation of data/analytic strategy, plan for protection of human subjects)
and proposed budget amount (500 words).
Deadline for the Completed LOI Application: LOI can be sent electronically no later than Thursday
October 10, 2005, 5 PM Eastern Standard Time (USA).
Selection Criteria: These will be based on the scientific importance of the problem studied according to:
(1) Significance; (2) Approach; (3) Innovation; (4) Investigators; (5) Environment; and (6) Ethical Issues.
Selected investigators will be electronically invited by October 24, 2005 to submit their final full application
materials using a suggested format by no later than Monday November 17, 2005, 5 PM EST.
All final awards will be announced by November 31, 2005. Projects are expected to start on January 9,
2006.
Program Director: Kerim M Munir, MD, MPH, DSc, The Children's Hospital, Division of General
Pediatrics, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
All electronic inquiries and submissions to be addressed to:
Deniz Yucel, MA
U.S. Program Coordinator, Fogarty and NIMH/NIH MHDD Programs
Children's Hospital
Division of General Pediatrics
300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
617 355 7419 (tel)
deniz.yucel@childrens.harvard.edu