Cross-disciplinary research programme concerning children’s and young people’s mental health, 2011–2016, in partnership between FAS, Formas, VR and VINNOVA

Change 2011-08-19: An additional appendix (K) has been added

Background
Children’s and young people’s mental health is central for the individual and society. With regard to research in a life-span perspective, major importance is being given, in Sweden and internationally, to the problems and opportunities associated with aging, due to the demographic situation. This does not prevent a focus at the same time on research into development in the early stages of life. On the contrary, the demographic situation shows that it is of the greatest importance to understand and promote opportunities for a good start in life, what maintains this and which initiatives can reverse negative development, in regard to mental health. Almost two million of Sweden’s inhabitants are under 18 years old and thereby constitute a large group from a public health perspective. At the same time the situation is very heterogeneous in regard to conditions while growing up and the preconditions that are given early in life. However, there is great variation in regard to family structure, ethnicity, material assets, nutrition and eating habits, access to pre-schools and schools of high quality, physical environment and living conditions, to mention a few factors.

Despite the diversity of Swedish research that exists within the field, there are knowledge gaps within these areas. These are especially evident in respect to long-term changes in mental health in particular, how it co-varies with other factors and which individual factors and environmental factors, in the wider sense, are important in this context.

Analyses of Swedish and international research within the field of children’s and young people’s mental health have been carried out for a number of years under the auspices of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA). The results, which were presented in 2010, indicated that the knowledge situation in Sweden in regard to trends in mental health for children and young people is fairly limited if high requirements are placed on scientific quality. This is apparent not least in regard to school, learning and mental health. It was also found that a large number of intervention programmes, which are employed in Sweden with the aim of preventing mental ill-health, have very limited scientific support. Results from these analyses indicate that there may be significant knowledge benefits to be gained in the research/intervention/prevention/innovation value chain.

In light among other things of KVA’s analyses, FAS, Formas, VR and Vinnova have decided on a joint call for research proposals,  and starting in 2012 will allocate a total of SEK 50 million per year for a period of 6 years for research into children’s and young people’s mental health.

Aim of the programme
The aim of the research programme is:

To boost research in the long-term in regard to children’s and young people’s mental health in Sweden

To develop new knowledge about and methods for studying children’s and young people’s mental health

To provide a scientific basis for initiatives and action by utilising results for the purpose of creating preconditions for good mental health among children and young people

To advance interdisciplinary and, where appropriate, transdisciplinary research and innovation

Content of the programme: Research into children’s and young people’s mental health in Sweden – developmental processes, explanatory models, intervention, prevention, treatment and innovation.
Swedish research into children’s and young people’s mental health is fairly extensive and is carried on within many disciplines. At the same time there are major gaps in knowledge in regard to research that can provide the basis on which to evaluate changes over time and thereby the ability to comprehend what advances or impedes sound mental development.

The meaning of the term mental health has also varied over time and has a historical dimension that is important in itself but also in order to understand how we regard the research field today. The relation between medical factors, such as genetic characteristics, and mental health is complex. Central social contexts are family, preschool, school and the relations with schoolmates and adults that are developed there. Broadly speaking it is the variations in mental health in relation to social and economic factors that are of great interest. The time spent at school with intellectual stimulus and opportunities but also performance expectations and competition have an effect on mental health. Terms such as lifestyle and lifestyle factors are used in research about mental health and illustrate attempts to capture descriptive and explanatory factors within the field. The physical environment and social planning, as well as green care, are other aspects that can be included in research into children’s and young people’s mental health. This research focus concentrates on children’s and young people’s mental health, but the relation to physical health is also relevant in the research that will be funded.

Focus of the research that can be funded by the programme
Research shall be interdisciplinary and cover any of the fields of the humanities,social sciences, natural sciences, medicine and technology. Where appropriate, the research shall also be transdisciplinary – that is to say in partnership between the research community and society. The research shall result in these respects in added value in relation to earlier research focuses, in particular by setting it in relation to other factors in connection with the individual and the physical and psychological environment in a wider sense.

Applications can concern high quality basic research, needs-related research, treatment research, prevention and intervention research. High standards are stipulated in all cases in regard to scientific quality. The research funding shall result in the accumulation of new knowledge and be able to provide increased innovation incentives within the field.

Forms of funding
Programme funding: 6 years with evaluation after 3 years. The objective is to support around 8 research groups with up to SEK 5 million per year. Funding for research groups is a form of basic funding that shall make it possible to tackle new research issues and to address these over a longer period. The research group shall have a convincing concept in its application and be able to present a very strong quality level, including theoretical and methodological competence of relevance for the field. As one aim of the research funding focus is to boost the research field in the long-term, it is an advantage if younger researchers are included in the group. A plan for recruitment of new researchers and gender equality shall be enclosed with the application in Step 2.

Project funding: 3 years. Around ten projects will be funded for the sum of SEK 1 million per year within the framework of the programme.

Follow-up and evaluation: communication, information
Funding for programmes/research groups will be evaluated after three years with the opportunity to alter the grant sum. The whole research focus will also be evaluated in respect to obtained results and impacts in the short-term and the long-term in regard to research results and their application in activities/enterprises associated with the research programme.  A specific communication and information strategy will also be developed in connection with the research focus as a whole. It is presupposed that the researchers who are awarded funding will allocate funds in the budget in order to be able to participate in activities within the programme.

Project funding is intended to be for a three-year period. This means that there is an opportunity prior to 2015 to make use of the funds that may thus be released for an additional call for proposals, and/or to boost programme funding.

Evaluation process
The funding authorities have decided that applications, both in Step 1 and in Step 2, shall be evaluated on the basis of the criteria for scientific quality and social usefulness which are stated in the Formas Handbook 2011. Applications will be evaluated by international panels appointed in consultation with the authorities. It is therefore recommended that applications are written in English.

The final balance between programme funding and project funding will be determined by the quality of the applications. The project manager’s leadership ability in particular will be evaluated in the assessment of applications for programme funding.

Application procedure
The application procedure is divided in two steps. Step1 and Step 2 applies for both programme and project funding. The deadline for applications in Step 1 is September 15th 2011. A number of the outline submissions (approx. 15 programme grants and approx. 20 project grants) will be selected and the applicants will be invited to submit a full application in Step 2. The planned deadline for applications in Step 2 is January 15th 2012 with grant decisions to be announced in April/May 2012.

Instructions
Applications must be submitted electronically via Formas’ application portal Formas Direct.
The Formas Handbook 2011 contains detailed regulations and instructions concerning how applications shall be formulated. The Formas Handbook applies where applicable in addition to the specific instructions which are stated below.

Applications must contain:
Application form Grants for research projects are normally administered by a Swedish university or other tertiary educational institution, research institute or public authority with responsibility for research. Companies are welcome to participate as a co-applicant. In accordance with the general directions, both the main applicant and co-applicants must hold a doctorate.

A main applicant can submit a maximum of one application, i.e. either an application for programme funding or an application for project funding. A main applicant can be a co-applicant in a different application.

Appendix A Research Programme, max 3 pages for step 1.
Appendix B1 Budget table (template) and B2 Description (max 2 pages)
Appendix C CV of main applicant and co-applicants (max 2 pages per person)
Appendix D List of publications for main applicant and co-applicants (max 2 pages per person)
Appendix K References (max 2 apges)

A signature form (Appendix S) is automatically generated when the application is registered. This must be provided in paper format and sign by the applicant and an authorized representative of the university or the authority administering the funds.
The original version should be sent to: Formas, Box 1206, SE-111 82 Stockholm. The form must be received by Formas within five working days after the closure of the call. Appendix S is a guarantee that the application is accepted by the university or research institute.

The appendices shall be written in the Times New Roman font and with a font size of at least 12.

The call will close and applications must be registered in Formas Direct by 24:00 on 15 September 2011. Formas’ technical support will be open until 16:30 on the last day of application. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application in good time before 16:30 so that they can access help if any problem should arise.

Expert panel

Chairman
Pekka Niemi
Professor
University of Turku, Finland

Members
Sabina Bahn
Professor
Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research, Storbritanien

Niels Bilenberg
Professor
Syddansk universitet, Danmark

Fiona Brooks
Professor
University of Hertfordshire, Storbritanien

Mary Cannon
Associate Professor
Royal College of Surgeons, Irland

Mark Fraser
Professor
University of North Carolina, USA

Liisa Horelli
Associate Professor
University of Helsinki, Finland

Philip C Kendall
Professor
Temple University, USA

Roderick Lawrence
University of Geneva Institute

Barbara Livingstone
Professor
University of Ulster, Storbritanien

Robin C Moore
Professor
North Carolina State University, USA

Patrick West
Professor
Medical Research Council, Storbritanien

Alison Yung
Professor
University of Melbourne, Australien

For more information, contact:
Erland Hjelmquist, Secretary-General, FAS, +46 (0)8-775 40 71, +46 (0)70-859 25 54,

Kristina Björnberg, Senior Research Officer, Formas, +46 (0)8-775 4052,
+46 (0)70-492 06 23,  

Kenneth Nilsson, reserach administrator, Formas, +46 8-775 4040,

Maria Thuveson, Head of Project and Programme Funding Unit, Swedish Research Council, +46 (0)8-546 44 193,

Gunnar Sandberg, Programme Manager, Health Division, VINNOVA, +46 (0)8-454 6445,

 IT-support: Jan Danielsson, Formas, tel.: +46 (0)8 775 4043, e-mail