Mental Health Award: Using physical activity and circadian-based interventions to reduce anxiety and depression in young people
Funding for multidisciplinary trials of circadian and/or physical activity interventions to reduce anxiety and depression in young people (10–18) in the UK and/or Africa, with a focus on mechanisms and scalability.
Funder: Wellcome Trust
Due Dates: June 29, 2026: Scope-check submission deadline | July 14, 2026: Full application submission deadline
Funding Amounts: £1–4 million per grant | 3–4 years duration | 5–10 awards expected
Summary: Supports mechanistically informed trials of circadian and/or physical activity interventions to reduce anxiety and depression in young people (ages 10–18) in the UK and/or Africa.
Key Information: Teams must include expertise in mental health and circadian/physical activity science, clinical trials, and lived experience; strong focus on scalability and early intervention.
Description
This funding opportunity from the Wellcome Trust is designed to support multidisciplinary teams to conduct rigorous, mechanistically informed trials of interventions targeting anxiety and depression in young people aged 10–18 in the UK and/or Africa. Projects must integrate circadian rhythms (e.g., sleep, light exposure) and/or physical activity as core components of the intervention, with the aim of developing scalable, evidence-based early interventions. Proposals should demonstrate existing evidence for the intervention, employ robust causal designs (such as randomized controlled trials), investigate mechanisms of efficacy, and include clear strategies for real-world implementation and scalability. Lived experience involvement of young people is required throughout the research process.
