Tag: NIH

Because it’s a FAQ: What is the T32?

At Northwestern University, I am a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellow in the Multidisciplinary Training Program in Digital Mental Health, funded by the T32 Institutional Grant at the NIH. Yes, I realize that’s a lot of words, so I will take this blog post to break that down a little bit. This is especially foreign for HCI scholars, where postdocs are mostly funded under project grants.

What is the T?

In the medical sciences, such as Psychology, it seems that additional training after earning a PhD via a postdoc is much more the norm than it is in fields such as HCI (although with the academic job market being what it is, postdocs are just becoming more common across the board). NIH has a number of grants for scholars to apply to at the various stages of their careers. Briefly, these are:

  • Training Grants such as the K and T
  • R
  • P50

They even have a handy infographic of how this breaks down over a career.

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/training/awards

Basically, the grants are set up such that when you graduate with your PhD, you have a T lined up to do for up to 3 years. Then, while working in the T, you are applying to your K. The K then gives additional mentorship and training years as you transition into independent faculty. Finally, as you advance in your career, you are well-set up to apply to larger grants, such as the R01.

The T32, specifically, are training grants that include research activities with mentors, as well as training in grant writing, publishing, and career planning. Teaching is not an expected part of early career training, under these programs.

So, what’s an HCI scholar doing in a T?

As a part of the Multidisciplinary Training Program in Digital Mental Health, I am on an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Psychology and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Not only am I working with two mentors, one from Psychology (David Mohr) and another from HCI (Madhu Reddy), but also with 3 other postdoc trainees.

Two of the postdocs are from fields in Behavioral Health and two of us are HCI-oriented. We are then able to cross-train each other in our respective disciplines. We are also working closely together on projects, often with a Behavioral Health lead and an HCI lead. This gives us a chance to learn enough of another discipline to work on these projects, have some publications in venues appropriate to each field, and widen our breadth of our research.

This training grant is also an opportunity to know our own discipline more deeply by having to teach outsiders some of the nuances and our language. This has been especially enlightening to compare publication cultures, with HCI being a field that values our conference papers as compared to Behavioral Health, which is journal-oriented.

This postdoc fellowship has been a unique experience for me, as an HCI scholar. I am learning how to work on interdisciplinary teams, find common ground, and bridge our scholarly work in order to meet our shared goals.

Rolling chairs in front of a blank projector screen.

What is Digital Mental Health?

Our lives are becoming increasingly intertwined with digital technology. People and technology work in tandem to create the context in which we spend our daily lived experiences. We use technology to connect to one another, both in the workplace and during our recreational time. Not only are we using technology to better connect to one another, but also to be understand ourselves.

In the field of Human-Computer Interaction, there is a whole sub-field of ubiquitous computing or the study of computing technology being embedded throughout our lives and society. The ubiquity of technology has been leveraged to help people keep track of their health, in the workplace, and has been commercially very successful for recreational use (Pokemon Go, anyone?).

Looking down at a table top with a phone with headphones, tablet, glasses, laptop keyboard, camera, briefcase, and make up brushes.
Many of us carry around multiple devices on a daily basis.

An emerging field of research is Digital Mental Health, but what does that mean, exactly?

One area of interest is technology that supports (and/or treats) those looking to improve their mental health. This includes mental health apps for a mobile phone or website based care, for example. Technology will not necessarily replace traditional face-to-face therapies, but they could potentially augment them. A therapist might not always be readily available, but an app on a phone could be. Understanding the best way to design these apps is only beginning to be addressed by the research community.

Along the same lines is studying interventions that include technology in and for a clinical setting. This might include creating applications specific for a hospital setting or for out-patient groups. Another example might be building measures and treatments into a electronic medical record system. Users of these kinds of interventions would go beyond just thinking of a “patient” with mental health needs, but also doctors, nurses, and so on. One of the biggest hurdles here is the actual implementation of these tools – getting everyone in the system to actual adopt the technology, maintain it, and continue to use it so that it is effective.

A desk with note pads and pen, center a coffee mug, in front a blurry smartphone.

Additionally, understanding the problems that might arise in digital spaces that lead to mental health problems can fall under the purview of “digital mental health.” This might include exploring the potential of “addictive” technology or spending too much time in front of screens. Research in this area might also look at perceptions of technology and how that might impact their use (or abandonment). Further, using some kinds of technology, such as social media, has the potential to be detrimental to a person’s mental health. In my own research, I’ve found that interacting in digital spaces can open up individuals to harassment and bullying.

Finally, understanding how people are already using technology to support their mental health. This includes how people already use technology as tools to support themselves and their mental healthcare needs. Individuals interested in improving their mental health may be using technology in a variety of ways. This includes personal tracking, using other apps, and connecting with others via social media.

© 2024 Kate Ringland, PhD

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