Federal Grant Award Summary

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded Harvard College a $764,033 Project Grant on June 11, 2026, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to conduct a comprehensive longitudinal investigation of reading comprehension (RC) development from infancy through adolescence. The research will combine two existing longitudinal cohorts (comprising 174 and 137 participants respectively) to examine the direct and indirect effects on RC outcomes from integrated brain imaging, behavioral assessments, familial risk factors, and environmental data. By applying state-of-the-art pediatric neuroimaging and multifactorial analytical approaches, the study will identify developmental trajectories of precursor skills and brain correlates underlying typical and atypical RC development, ultimately generating evidence to inform early preventative and intervention strategies for children at risk of reading difficulties.

The project will be conducted at Harvard College's Cambridge, Massachusetts campus through February 28, 2031, and represents NICHD's investment in developmental research that addresses the significant public health challenge of reading comprehension deficiency among children and adults. By establishing foundational knowledge of how brain and behavioral development interact across the lifespan to support RC acquisition, the award supports the institute's mission to advance understanding of human development and enhance the lives of children and adolescents through rigorous, multidisciplinary scientific inquiry.