Strategies for Maintaining Neurobehavioral Effectiveness during Chronic Sleep Restriction and Total Sleep Deprivation
Research explores ways to maintain cognitive function, alertness, and emotional control when people experience chronic sleep loss or total sleep deprivation.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (next deadline)
Funding Amounts: Base stipend approximately $74,000 with travel allowance of $4,000; supplements based on experience; typical tenure 2-3 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral and senior researchers conducting in-laboratory studies on strategies to maintain neurobehavioral performance during chronic sleep restriction and total sleep deprivation.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non-U.S. citizens; requires contacting Research Adviser prior to applying; research conducted at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
Description
This fellowship opportunity, offered through the NRC Research Associateship Programs, supports research at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's Department of Behavioral Biology. The focus is on understanding and developing strategies to maintain neurobehavioral effectiveness—such as cognitive performance, emotional regulation, alertness, and vigilance—during periods of chronic insufficient sleep (less than 7-8 hours per 24 hours over days or weeks) and total sleep deprivation.
Research includes evaluating both pharmacological agents (e.g., stimulants like caffeine, modafinil, dextroamphetamine; cognitive enhancers like nicotine and CX717; sleep inducers such as triazolam, zolpidem, synthetic melatonin) and nonpharmacological tools (e.g., sleep hygiene, sleep banking, sleep recovery strategies). The program also investigates individual differences in response to sleep loss, including genetic and personality factors.
The research is conducted in a fully equipped residential sleep facility capable of housing up to 8 volunteers simultaneously, supported by expert research staff and a biochemistry laboratory. The mission is particularly aligned with Warfighter operational conditions, aiming to identify limitations and contraindications of these strategies in real-world field settings.
