Funding for Multidisciplinary Networks Researching Mental Health Stressors among Young People

Deadline: 19-Apr-2024

The Science for Africa Foundation invites applications for innovative research geared towards addressing youth mental health and wellbeing.

Applications should take into consideration pressing local, national and regional research priorities, resources and current environments. Specifically, they are looking to fund longitudinal primary research focused on identifying and addressing knowledge gaps related to the impact of emerging stressors on youth mental health, health and that actively involve the participation of young people (i.e., in terms of conducting the research and in the governance of the projects). The research should also encompass the urban/peri-urban context in relation to the impact of stressors on young people’s mental wellbeing. Research should be broadly associated to one of the stressors listed below. Transdisciplinary and systems level research is encouraged, and applicants should outline how they might draw upon a breadth of expertise within their proposed programme.

This call does not fund implementation research. They emphasise that they are looking for visionary consortia which will develop their own programmes of relevant research work.

• Personal Stressors
  • Represent stressors experienced at the individual level
    • Education expectations (academic pursuit)
    • Substance abuse and digital addiction
    • Poverty
    • Childhood trauma
• Societal Stressors
  • Sources of social stress that generate ‘differences’ among groups of people
    • Stigma
    • Violence and conflicts
    • Bullying (including cyber bullying)
• Environmental Stressors
  • Are stressors that involve an interdependent relationship between living beings and their immediate environment.
    • Media
    • Climate change

Eligible Countries

• The specific countries of interest for this call are Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam and Romania.

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead Applicant Eligibility Definition: Principal Investigator who is based at the lead institution. Lead applicants can apply to lead only one application but could be co-applicants in several applications. They must be from an eligible institution (i.e., having legal status) and must fulfil the following conditions:
  • Be a national or a resident of a priority country including Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Egypt, Ghana, Ecuador, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Romania, Indonesia or Morocco.
  • Hold an academic or research post.
  • Have a salary, or the guarantee of a salary, for the duration of the award period, or be required by their contract of employment to have a salary.
  • Where an applicant does not currently have a post at the lead institution/partner institution, then they are also eligible to apply if they have a written guarantee of a post which, if the application is successful, they would take up by the start of the award.
  • Be a senior, early-career, mid-career, and established researchers.
  • May be from disciplines not typically associated with mental health science (e.g. beyond psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience).
• Co-applicant Eligibility
  • At least two (2) co-applicants should have a primary affiliation to the partner institution that is based in one of the 13 priority countries.
  • Additional co-applicants can be drawn from any country in the globe.
  • Must be established research leaders of international stature as demonstrated through a track record of leading on and supporting high quality research in the mental health field, through a strong publication record.
  • Be based at the partner institution for the duration of the grant and be able to take responsibility for leading the overall management of the programme, if awarded.
• Lead Institution Eligibility
  • Must be based in the following countries: Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Egypt, Ghana, Ecuador, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Romania, Indonesia or Morocco.
  • Must be legally viable.
  • Should be universities, research institutions, community-based organisations and for-profit institutions.
• Partner Institution Eligibility
  • At least two (2) partner institutions must be based in the following countries: Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Egypt, Ghana, Ecuador, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Romania, Indonesia or Morocco
  • Must be legally viable.
  • Should be universities, research institutions, community-based organisations and for-profit institutions.
• Collaborating Institution Eligibility
  • Could be based in any country in the globe.
  • Must be legally viable.
  • Can be any type of institution.
• Consortium Eligibility
  • Lead applicant and institution must be based in the following countries: Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Egypt, Ghana, Ecuador, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Romania, Vietnam, Indonesia or Morocco.
  • Refer to section d) above for the co-applicant and partner institution eligibility.
  • Should be a minimum of three (3) institutions and a maximum of five (5) institutions, in both cases including the lead institution.

For more information, visit SFA Foundation.