Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded a $761,595 Project Grant to the University of Michigan's Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, effective June 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031, under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242). This research initiative investigates the efficiency of evidence accumulation (EEA) as a neurodevelopmental mechanism underlying transdiagnostic risk for psychopathology through computational modeling approaches. The project addresses a critical gap in understanding how neurocognitive abilities—including inhibition, working memory, and decision-making capacity—mature during childhood and adolescence to influence the emergence of psychiatric disorders across diagnostic boundaries.

The research will produce peer-reviewed publications, computational models, and empirical evidence examining how EEA serves as a general developmental factor affecting adaptive functioning and self-regulation across multiple contexts and diagnoses. By characterizing the interplay between environmental factors (such as family conflict and socioeconomic resources) and neurobiological maturation, this project seeks to advance understanding of shared etiological mechanisms contributing to comorbidity patterns and the general psychopathology factor observed across mental health disorders. The award supports transformative basic and clinical research aligned with NIMH's mission to advance prevention, recovery, and treatment outcomes through rigorous scientific investigation of mental illness mechanisms.