U of C gets new mental health funding

By Hayden McBennett, October 16 2014 —

The University of Calgary received over $7.4 million in funding for six mental health research projects from Brain Canada, an organization that provides money for research projects in Canada, on Oct. 8.

Brain Canada is funding 56 projects across Canada.

“Research funding goes towards paying staff and research assistants. They do the assessments. If they get a brain scan we have to pay for that and the funding will also pay for materials,” said Jean Addington, a researcher with the U of C’s Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education.

Addington is the lead researcher studying early identification of youth at high risk of developing mental illness. Her study received $1.5 million over three years.

Researchers gain access to funding by outlining their research plan to a board, including how the money will be spent and why it’s needed. The research is reviewed by an ethics board in order to ensure that funding is appropriately allocated and that the research being conducted is morally sound.