Puerperal psychosis
The Medical Research Foundation invites high quality scientific research proposals in puerperal psychosis. The Medical Research Foundation (MRF) is the MRC’s independently managed charity which is funded by legacies and donations from the public. The MRF is in receipt of a restricted legacy which it intends to use to fund a competitive award of up to £300,000 in puerperal psychosis. Applications will be assessed by the MRC research grants process. Applications should be submitted to the MRC’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Board by 4pm on 25th September 2012 for consideration at the Board meeting on 5th and 6th March 2013.
Background
Puerperal or postpartum psychosis is a term that covers a group of mental illnesses associated with the sudden onset of psychotic symptoms following childbirth. Those affected seem to consist mainly of patients who have either established or undiagnosed bipolar disorder in which childbirth triggers a mixed affective state. Factors such as hormone change, sleep disturbance and genetic predisposition have been investigated but the aetiology of the condition remains unclear. The onset of psychosis following a defined event (childbirth) offers an opportunity to gain insight into mechanisms of the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
Remit
This is a challenging area for research. The Medical Research Foundation wishes to fund a high quality scientific proposal with demonstrable importance and potential impact. Applications at any stage of the research pathway will be considered, from basic biology to mechanisms and interventions.
Assessment
Applications should be submitted via the Je-S system to the MRC Neuroscience and Mental Health Board by 4pm on 25th September 2012 for consideration at the Board meeting on 5th and 6th March 2013. Applications will be considered under the assessment procedure for all MRC research grants.
Funding
The MRC is administering this call on behalf of the Medical Research Foundation. The Medical Research Foundation is a charity and, as such, does not meet the full economic costs of the research that it supports. Therefore applications should include the direct costs of the research but not indirect (or estates) costs, which should be marked at £0 in the Je-S application. Since these grant submissions will not cover the full economic cost of the proposal, any awarded grant would be funded at 100% of the submitted DI and DA costs.
Contact
Dr Sarah Main
sarah.main@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
0207 395 2232
If you have any technical queries concerning your Je-S application form, please contact the Je-S helpdesk.