Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Impact of Technology and Digital Media Exposure Usage on Child and Adolescent Development

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for research on the impact of technology and digital media on children and adolescents. Technology and digital media (TDM) encompasses social media, applications, websites, television, motion pictures, artificial intelligence, mobile devices, computers, video games, virtual and augmented reality, and other content, networks, or platforms disseminated through the internet, broadcasted, or other media technologies, as applicable. Collectively, they have become an integral part of our children’s and families’ daily lives. Most children and adolescents now engage with TDM starting from an early age, often with high levels of exposure across multiple devices and contexts and involving a wide range of content. There is therefore an urgent need to understand how TDM use and exposure impacts children’s health and development, as well as how it alters the very nature of interactions between children and their family members, peers, and society at large. As TDM has evolved with breathtaking speed, our understanding of its impacts – whether positive, neutral, or negative – on children’s health and development has not kept pace. This initiative intends to address this expanding gap by inviting research proposals on the impact of TDM on children and adolescents, including potential broader effects on their families and communities. Please note that applications are not being solicited at this time. This notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This NOFO will utilize a phased R61/R33 mechanism. Investigators with interests at the intersection of TDM and child/adolescent development are encouraged to apply. In addition, collaborative teams that combine expertise across domains such as behavioral sciences, cognition and learning, computational and statistical modeling, computer science, geographic information science, library and information sciences, neurodevelopment, pediatrics, social and affective development and social sciences will be encouraged, and these investigators should also consider applying for this opportunity.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of the significance of the proposed research; approach; innovation; investigators; and environment. The following criteria will be used in considering the scientific and technical merit of SBIR/STTR Phase I grant applications: (1) The soundness and technical merit of the proposed approach; (2) the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; (3) the technological innovation of the proposed research; (4) the potential of the proposed research for commercial application; (5) the appropriateness of the budget requested; (6) the adequacy and suitability of the facilities and research environment; and (7) where applicable, the adequacy of assurances detailing the proposed means for (a) safeguarding human or animal subjects, and/or (b) protecting against or minimizing any adverse effect on the environment. Phase II grant applications will be reviewed based upon the following criteria: (1) The degree to which the Phase I objectives were met and feasibility demonstrated; (2) the scientific and technical merit of the proposed approach for achieving the Phase II objectives; (3) the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; (4) the technological innovation originality, or societal importance of the proposed research; (5) the potential of the proposed research for commercial application; (6) the reasonableness of the budget...

Fiscal year 2025: The following is a tiny sample of fiscal year 2025 NICHD funded grants within the discretionary award class type. 1) Understanding the role of early life social determinants and sex-specific pubertal pathways in the development of adolescent chronic pain. 2) Improving In Vitro Fertilization Success through Multiplexed Optical Metabolic Imaging. 3) Genetic Studies of Large Palindromes. 4) A Safe, Fast, and Cost-Effective System for Tissue Removal in Laparoscopic Hysterectomy and Other Minimally Invasive Surgery. The following is a tiny sample of fiscal year 2025 NICHD funded grants within the cooperative agreement award class type. 1) Study of Treatment and Reproductive outcomes. 2) Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS): Research on Immune Aging, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Perinatal Acquisition: Elucidating Relationships in HIV (RISE). 3) Pelvic Floor Disorders Network Data Coordinating Center. 4) NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network: Data Coordinating Center. Fiscal year 2026: The following is a tiny sample of fiscal year 2026 NICHD funded grants within the discretionary award class type. 1) Placental Proteins and Prematurity. 2) In...