Federal Grant Award Summary

Michigan State University received a $680,140 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 13, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2031. The project, titled "Untangling Heterogeneity: When, For Whom, and How Prenatal Stress and Early Childhood Risk and Protection Shape Biopsychosocial Competence in Middle Childhood," leverages an existing longitudinal cohort of 374 mother-child dyads oversampled for life stress, with data collection spanning from gestation week 15 through age six. The research aims to determine the timing and mechanisms through which prenatal and early childhood stress exposure influence biopsychosocial development outcomes in middle childhood across five salient competency domains.

The project delivers comprehensive longitudinal research data and analysis products examining critical periods of developmental vulnerability. Using granular weekly assessments of pregnancy stress and frequent (quarterly) early childhood stress measurements, the research identifies when and for whom stress derails later biopsychosocial functioning—outcomes highly predictive of adolescent and adult functioning. Deliverables include peer-reviewed publications, data analyses conducted in Aim 1 examining stress timing and interaction effects, and scientific findings that advance understanding of developmental heterogeneity in stress-exposed populations, supporting evidence-based interventions to address the widespread concern that approximately 20% of children develop behavior problems by middle childhood.