Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Award Details: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded a Project Grant of $132,300 to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (Health Sciences Division) on May 1, 2026, with a completion date of April 30, 2031, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865).

Research Deliverables: This award funds research investigating the impact of problematic smartphone use (PSU) on behavioral and neural functioning in adolescents. The project will deliver longitudinal research examining approximately 100 adolescents (ages 13–18) with mild to severe PSU over a six-month period, utilizing weekly experience sampling methodology to assess fluctuations in PSU patterns, social support systems, and physical activity levels. The research employs a multimodal framework with cross-lagged panel modeling to assess bidirectional influences and temporal dynamics between PSU and developmental outcomes. Expected deliverables include empirical data on how excessive smartphone use affects adolescent social relationships, physical health outcomes, and neural development—particularly the frontoparietal network responsible for attention regulation and inhibitory control. This research addresses critical gaps in understanding the interplay between problematic smartphone use and adolescent development during a sensitive period of neuroplasticity, with findings intended to inform evidence-based interventions for this population affecting approximately one in four adolescents.