Applying to the Transformation of Mental Health Care Program

Application portal opens annually on September 1 and closes on December 15.

Background

Since 1998, the Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation (KTGF) has awarded post-doctoral fellowships for innovative scientific research that improves our understanding of the causes, prevention, and treatment of depression and ADHD in children. Since 2002, the Foundation has funded programs at select medical schools to bolster medical students’ knowledge and interest in mental health and build the pipeline of psychiatrists.

In 2015, the Foundation initiated the “Transformation of Mental Health Care,” a program focused on improving access to high quality mental health care for children and adolescents, especially those from low-income families and under-resourced communities, or other minoritized populations that may have limited supports and resources. This includes families that come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and families that live in poverty. This program was prompted by recognition by KTGF Board members, based in part on their personal experiences, that it is often difficult for parents to access high-quality care when confronted with the challenging and often complex mental health needs of their children. We encourage academic investigators from underrepresented and minoritized groups and/or with lived experience applicable to their work to apply.

Overview

• Proposals are due 11:59 pm EST December 15
• Applications are submitted online

Goal of the Program

We are soliciting applications for academic investigators conducting research to demonstrate the benefits of novel ways to access or deliver mental health care or prevention approaches that can be implemented at scale. This application is specifically for high quality research that builds upon promising pilot work, adapts interventions for future scaling using established principles from community participatory approaches and implementation science frameworks, and has the potential to lead to a larger demonstration project. Requests for service projects and applications that primarily focus on expanding services or measuring quality within an organization without a rigorous research component or without pilot data related to the intervention will not be reviewed.

In particular, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation is interested in improving access to high quality mental health care and prevention for children and adolescents through the use of novel models or promising approaches leveraging the latest science from mental health services research and implementation science. This includes (but is not exhaustive):

Testing new models of care delivery (e.g., shifting delivery of clinical care tasks to non-traditional personnel such as outreach or community mental health workers)
Adapting and testing approaches to deliver care in atypical settings (e.g., primary care, schools, home, emergency rooms, or other novel settings)
Testing scalable digital approaches (e.g., through use of technology including internet-based engagement, apps for cell phones)
Approaches that help parents access care for their children (e.g., peer advocates).

The primary outcomes of the project should include implementation outcomes such as reach, acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity and/or service outcomes such as improved access and/or reduced time to service delivery (See Proctor et al 2023, Implementation Science)¹. Primary outcomes should demonstrate that the project is being designed for scalability. Secondary outcomes include clinical or functional outcomes that are likely to improve with access to high quality care, such as decreased symptoms, burdens, and/or maladaptive behaviors associated with mental health challenges; improved educational, relational, and/or health outcomes; or enhanced youth and family functioning.

Eligibility, Guidelines and Components

Eligibility and Funding Levels

Academic researchers from universities, research institutions, health systems or other settings that are positioned to provide rigorous high-quality research focused on transforming mental and behavioral health care that improves outcomes for children and adolescents are eligible. Investigators must reside within institutions based in the United States, where all research on the project will be completed.
Investigators can be at any stage in their career but must have collected enough pilot data to inform the development of the proposed research project and must be well enough established to lead an effort such as this. For investigators who are early in their career, we strongly recommend collaborating with a more senior academic researcher who has expertise in program development and dissemination. Co-applicants / principal investigators are allowed if they reside at the same institution. Investigators with lived experience that enhances their capacity to successfully complete the project are encouraged to apply.
The foundation expects to make up to two grant awards. Each award will be in the amount of $100,000 per year over a two-year period, for a total of $200,000 per grant. Payment of the second year of funding is contingent on sufficient progress during the first year of the grant.
Applicants cannot apply for both a KTGF Fellowship grant and a Transformation of Mental Health Care grant in the same year. However, researchers previously funded through our Fellowship program will be considered if the application meets all the eligibility criteria for this grant.
Each applicant has the opportunity to re-submit one time.

Guidelines

The proposal should build upon promising pilot data related to the proposed intervention demonstrating improved access to high quality care or prevention approaches and functional outcomes in youth with mental health problems. An appropriate program will allow mental health care to reach different populations that are of interest to the foundation, especially those from low-income families and under-resourced communities, or other minoritized populations that may have limited supports and resources. This includes families that come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and families that live in poverty. Requests for service projects and applications that primarily focus on expanding services or measuring quality within an organization without a rigorous research component or without pilot data related to the intervention will not be reviewed.
The proposal should clearly outline how the project uses novel approaches to improve access to prevention or high-quality mental health care for youth at high risk for or with existing mental health problems. These novel approaches may include testing new models of care delivery (e.g., via non-professionals), adapting approaches for nontraditional settings (e.g., schools), testing scalable digital approaches (e.g., apps for cell phones), or approaches that help parents access care for their children (e.g., peer advocates).
The proposal must describe a service context with high potential reach for the underserved child and family population of interest, and an intervention that is feasible, acceptable, and appropriate for providers to deliver in that context.
The proposal must demonstrate how the program has potential for future scaling.
The proposal must include a plan to measure primary implementation outcomes, such as reach, acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity and/or service outcomes (improved access and/or reduced time to service delivery). Appropriate secondary outcomes may include clinical or service use outcomes at the child and family level.
After one year, and at the conclusion of the research project, the awardee will submit a report to the KTGF detailing the activities which have been conducted, recommendations to the field, and next steps required for program implementation and evaluation. Payment of the second year of funding is contingent upon adequate progress in the first year of the grant.

Proposal Components

The program should include the following components in single spaced 12-point font:

Summary page: one-page description of the nature and scope of the project.
Contact information and NIH-style Biosketch of Principal Investigator (PI).
Background information regarding the site(s) at which the research will take place.
Brief synopsis in layperson’s terms of proposed research (150 words or less).
Detailed description of the proposed research: the research plan must clearly state the objectives of the research, how they will be tested, and the primary and secondary outcomes of the project. It should also address any challenges or potential barriers to program implementation, how the project is integrated with a larger plan to scale the work, and how this research could ultimately lead to transformative advances in care (not to exceed six pages).
Letters of support from key personnel other than the PI, along with their 2-page NIH-style biosketch.
Indication of the level of institution and faculty support of the project, including letter of support from Department Chair or Division Director.
Timeline for project implementation and completion.
Sources of potential funding for larger scaling.
Itemized budget: indirect costs may be requested, but the Program limits indirect costs to 10%.

TRANSFORMATION OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE program

All submissions are completed online. Applications are due on December 15, 11:59 pm EST. The Foundation expects to award the grant in April. Funding will begin July 1, after IRB approval has been established and all relevant contracts have been put in place.

Please note the academic researcher must initiate the application process. Once the academic researcher has started the application, they may invite other people (e.g., development and administrative staff) to work on the request. Co-applicants / principal investigators should choose one investigator to initiate the process. For this proposal, select “KTGF Transformation of Mental Health Care”.

¹Proctor, E.K., Bunger, A.C., Lengnick-Hall, R. et al. Ten years of implementation outcomes research: a scoping review. Implementation Sci 18, 31 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-023-01286-z

Questions should be referred to info@klingenstein.org.

Begin Application