Role of Human-Animal Interaction in Child Health & Development

The purpose of this grant is to build an empirical research base on how children perceive, relate to and think about animals; how pets in the home impact children's social and emotional development and health (e.g. allergies, the immune system, asthma, mitigation of obesity); and whether and under what conditions therapeutic uses of animals is safe and effective.

Amount: $50,000 (R03 -- Small Research Grant Awards); $500,000 (R01 -- Large Grant Awards)

Due: November 19, 2009

Projects should be theoretically based and seek to answer questions that address key developmental, health and safety issues regarding the interactions of children and youth with animals in the home or therapeutic settings. Research to identify biobehavioral markers also is encouraged. Such work could not only inform the field about traits that make particular animals more suitable for interaction with individuals in certain settings, but could also be useful in identifying animal models of gene-behavior associations in humans. Physiologic measures (e.g. neuroendocrines, genetic, heart rate, neuroimaging), as well as direct or observational measures of behavioral, cognitive, psychosocial, and/or psychoeducational outcomes are encouraged.

For more information on the R03 competition, click here. For more information on the R01 competition, click here.

Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 1,654 graduate fellowships in this competition pending availability of funds. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are in the early stages of their graduate study.

Amount: Graduate Research Fellowship, $30,000; Tuition allowance, $10,500.

Due: November 2, 2009

NSF Fellows are expected to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. These individuals will be crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation’s technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well being of society at large. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is designed to provide opportunities for advanced education that prepares students for a broad range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary careers through its strategic investments in intellectual capital.

Applicable disciplines include chemistry, computer and information science, economics, engineering, geosciences, life sciences, mathematics, physics, psychology, and the social sciences.

For more information, click here.