Limited Submission Opportunity 

Huo Family Foundation: 2026 Special Projects  

Number of SLU slots: 1  

Internal Deadline: April 30, 2025 

Full Proposal Deadline: May 23, 2025 

The Award & Eligibility Criteria  

The Huo Family Foundation is establishing a research portfolio on the Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology on Brain Development, Social Behaviors and Mental Health in Children and Young People. 

Proposals should be tackling key questions within the broad topic of the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behaviour and interactions, and mental health of children and young people. 

The applicant(s) must hold a PhD or equivalent degree in a relevant field, which may include but is not limited to neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, public health, computer science, social science, economics. The applicant(s) should have a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract, or the guarantee of one. The contract should not be conditional on receiving this award. The salaries of all applicants must be covered by their respective employing organization(s) for the duration of the award. Co-applicants are possible on this application, particularly if the proposal crosses discipline boundaries, and the co-applicants bring critical and complementary expertise. Collaborators can be included in this application and award. 

Grants are for up to a four-year term. The grant amount is up to  $390,000 per year. The grant should begin in January 2026. 

Please see Special Project Questions and Guidance for more information.  

Guidance for the Nomination Process 

An internal competition will be held to assign the single slot. Interested applicants should submit pre-proposal materials (2-3 Page Research Proposal, Research Proposal Summary, CV, Data Management and Sharing and Reference List) through SLU’s OpenWater portal by 5pm on April 30, 2025: https://slu.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/204/home    

A SLU faculty selection committee will review and select the most suitable applicant and notify all applicants of the outcome by May 7, 2025 barring any unforeseen circumstances. The HFF deadline for proposal submission is 23 May 2025 by  5:59 PM (Central time). 

For further details on the award, including full eligibility criteria, please visit program’s website.