Project Grant K99HD122106

Grant Award Summary

The Pennsylvania State University received a $120,399 Project Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865), awarded July 10, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2028. This K99/R00 award supports a longitudinal, multi-method research study investigating biobehavioral synchrony and hormonal correlates of parenting from pregnancy through toddlerhood. The research employs novel assessment methodologies including functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and microanalytic behavioral coding to measure neural and behavioral synchrony between parents, alongside salivary hormone assays measuring cortisol reactivity and testosterone during structured family interactions.

The project is structured in two phases: a K99 training phase utilizing a pilot sample of approximately 10 expectant couples to refine the multi-method protocol and assess feasibility, followed by an R00 research phase scaling to approximately 80 families assessed at four timepoints (prenatally and at 8, 20, and 30 months postpartum). The primary deliverables include empirical data and analysis examining prenatal father-mother neural and behavioral synchrony, the relationship between prenatal synchrony and early caregiving behaviors, and associations between parental synchrony patterns and child health outcomes, advancing understanding of how parental biobehavioral coordination during the transition to parenthood influences early child development.