Invitation for Applications
The China Medical Board (CMB) invites early and middle-stage career researchers and health professionals from collaborating institutions to apply for the CMB Open Competition (CMB- OC) research grants. This is the 12th annual round of the CMB-OC program, with the theme of this year focusing on behavioral and mental health.
Background
Starting in 2011, the CMB-OC program has aimed at developing research capacity of early and middle-stage career researchers and health professionals in China. The program’s rigorous merit-based peer review process seeks to identify researchers with high potential, regardless of seniority. CMB-OC awardees receive research funding and join an active CMB research community. Over the course of 11 cycles, CMB has awarded 142 CMB-OC grants totaling over 13 million US dollars. The program is highly competitive. In the 2021 round, CMB received over 500 project applications, of which 39 concept notes were invited for full proposals. Ultimately, 22 projects were selected for funding of 1.4 million US dollars.
2022 CMB-OC Program
In this 2022 round, CMB commits around 1 million US dollars to support approximately a dozen projects based on merit-based selection. Similar to previous years, applicants can choose from two different budget allowances. Applications should identify the category at submission; and the budget should be justifiable with the proposed activities.
1) OC1 capped at 40,000 US dollars per project with duration of no more than 3 years.
2) OC2 capped at 80,000 US dollars per project with duration of no more than 3 years.
The 2022 CMB-OC program will prioritize research projects in the broad area of behavioral and mental health. Throughout the world, mental health is one of the most neglected areas of health in all age groups (childhood to old age). Over one billion people worldwide are estimated to be living with a mental health or substance abuse problem. The current COVID- 19 pandemic has exacerbated behavioral and mental health problems, further underscoring the importance of carefully designed research projects in this area. With unprecedented economic development and social changes over the past four decades, mental disorders have become a more common health issue in China. The lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in China was found to be over 16%, which is the fifth leading cause of disease burden across the country.
This Call for Applications is designed to move forward the global initiative to improve behavioral and mental health for people of all age groups (birth to the elderly). It builds upon the work of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related to health and wellbeing (SDG3) and the 2021 UNICEF State of the World’s Children Report which highlighted the importance of mental health in children and adolescents. The focus of this Call for Applications is also consistent with the vision and agenda of Healthy China 2030, in which enhancing mental health is a high priority, including special action plans to address the mental disorder issues and to improve related healthcare services. It is hoped that the projects to be funded by the OC grants will move beyond survival (ending preventable deaths) to promotion of physical and emotional health and well-being.
In the 2022 OC program, CMB welcomes a wide variety of research proposals, including implementation science, clinical and translational projects (such as RCTs, cohort and other epidemiologic studies), health services, health systems, and community-based research studies, but not fundamental research or drug trials. Areas for potential research projects include but are not limited to:
? Behavioral and mental health across the lifespan: child and adolescent health to the elderly;
? Enhanced surveillance of the magnitude of behavioral and mental health problems;
? Early childhood development including antecedents of behavioral problems; autism and related developmental disabilities; prevention strategies;
? Depression and mood disorders, including maternal depression;
? Trauma related mental health problems, including domestic violence and child abuse
? Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder;
? Alcohol and drug abuse;
? The elderly: mood disorder and dementia;
? Burnout in healthcare professionals;
? Novel prevention and treatment strategies;
? Innovative training programs to expand available mental health providers (beyond physicians) and study novel means of delivering care.
Through this open competition for research grants, CMB hopes to help advance the field of research in behavioral and mental health in China and beyond.
Eligibility to Apply
The OC grants aim to support early and middle-stage career researchers and health professionals from universities (including affiliated hospitals) and research institutions in China. Researchers and health professionals from CMB’s collaborating institutions (listed in the Addendum) who received their terminal degree (PhD, ScD, DrPH or MD) in the last 10 years (2012 and beyond) or completed their postdoc/residency training in the last 10 years are eligible to apply for the 2022 CMB-OC grants. Applicants are encouraged, where appropriate, to team up with international scholars, although the primary lead researcher must be based in China. We particularly encourage multidisciplinary work such as collaboration between
clinical medicine, nursing, and/or public health. Researchers who have received CMB-OC grants as PIs during 2019 to 2021 or as co-PIs in 2021, are not eligible to be PIs or co-PIs for the 2022 CMB-OC grants. We do not restrict the total number of submissions from each institution this year.
Application Process
This Call for Applications will be implemented in two stages. First, along with CVs, applicants submit a concept note for peer review. Next, the PIs of projects considered suitable will be invited to develop full proposals for final review. The full proposal will again go through review to determine final selection.
A concept note of no more than 2 pages must include the following:
? General information: institution; project title; PI’s full name, appointment, and academic title; contact information, including email address and cellphone number; amount of funding required; and duration of the project.
? Project summary: use no more than 200 words to summarize the research question, main objective, basic design, expected outcome and significance of the proposed study.
? Project description: statement of the main problem to be addressed by the project, goals and objectives, specific activities that will be undertaken to achieve the goals, analytic methods, expected results and products, timetable, and estimated budget.
The 2-page concept note should be submitted in English and combined with the PI’s current CVs in both Chinese and English. The CV in each language version should be no more than 3 pages and include the PI’s date of birth, contact information, educational background, professional appointments and experiences, grants and fellowships, awards and honors, publications, and previous participation in CMB activities.
Please put the concept note and CVs in one Microsoft Word file and do not send them separately. In naming the document, please follow the standard format:
“22OC+InstitutionAbbreviation + PI’s Name.” Applicants should submit their application documents through the respective institution’s CMB liaison office (contact information to be found in the Addendum). Applicants from university affiliated hospitals should also send application documents to respective university’s CMB liaison office.
After submitting application materials to liaison office, each applicant must register their basic information online: https://www.wjx.top/jq/59702917.aspx
CMB Review Criteria
The process is highly competitive, and merit based. PIs of selected concept notes and proposals may be sent comments to assist them in improving their full proposals. The following aspects will be examined during the concept note and proposal review process:
? Practical significance and value of the project;
? Soundness of the research design and appropriateness of methods used;
? Feasibility of the project;
? Potential of the PI to achieve academic excellence;
? Demonstration of multidisciplinary work;
? Cost-effectiveness in producing key knowledge and educational products given the requested budget.
It is CMB policy that all research and education products, including original datasets generated by its grant support, must be widely shared and accessible to the public.
Timeline
March 18, 2022 Submission of concept note
May 10, 2022 CMB decision on concept notes for consideration August 10, 2022 Submission of full proposal
December 31, 2022 Notification of approved proposals for funding
Point of Contact
The CMB liaison officers will serve as the point(s)-of-contact between the institution and CMB in grant management issues. The CMB liaison officers should send all concept notes, proposals, and inquiries to CMB Program Manager, Wenting Pu (wpu@cmbfound.org).
Addendum I - CMB Collaborating Institutions and Liaison Information
请有意愿申请的老师于3月15日之前将通知内所需文件发送至roselee@xjtu.edu.cn，谢谢！
