Research Support for PBS Faculty and Trainees
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PBS Small Grants Program
The Isaac Ray Research Program provides limited grant funding to support new or ongoing research by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences faculty in the area of behavioral science and the law
What Does this Funding Cover? Who is eligible?
Funding may be used to support the collection of pilot data for a new project, or to expand an ongoing project. Although there are no restrictions on allowable expenses, nonspecific requests to “buy out” a portion of FTE for research will not be considered.
The Principal Investigator must hold a faculty appointment (full- or part-time) at any rank in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences or Lurie Children’s Hospital. Students and residents are not eligible for these awards. More than one Principal Investigator may be designated on the application. Applicants can submit only one application per year per grant. Prior applicants are encouraged to reapply.
Because this grant is designed to encourage new investigators and the development of new research projects, priority will be given to junior and mid-career faculty, and applications that demonstrate the potential of proposed research to: (1) inform the mechanisms underlying the interactions between human behavior and legal systems, and (2) result in or support a sustainable externally funded program of research related to forensic psychology or psychiatry.
The grant is not intended to support graduate students (except to carry out the proposed project), to supplement ongoing investigations, or fund shortfalls in ongoing research studies.
How much is available? What is the duration of support?
The maximum level of support is $10,000 including direct and indirect costs. We anticipate funding one award per year. A project is eligible to be funded only once, and grants are not renewable. If an application for the small grant is unsuccessful, it may be resubmitted the following year. In some years, grants may not be awarded if meritorious projects are not received. The period of funding is September through August of each year.
Application:
Applications must include the following sections:
Study Title
Study Personnel (including contact information and a brief description of investigators’ expertise and experience)
Background and Specific Aims (1 page maximum NOT including references)
Research Strategy (1 page maximum)
Budget Summary (including a brief budget justification)
Applications should be submitted to Dr. Brook via email mbrook@northwestern.edu
If you have questions about the eligibility of your research or the application process, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Brook
Important Dates for the Current Funding Cycle:
Applications are due by June 30, 2026 for research to be conducted in FY 2027.
Submitted applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the Isaac Ray Research Program Steering Committee in July 2026.
Funding decisions will be communicated by August 1, 2026.
The period of funding is September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027.
Reporting and Requirements:
Formal Institutional Review Board or Animal Care and Use Committee approval will be required before projects are allowed to collect or analyze data on human subjects or animals.
Grantees must submit a year-end report by November 1, 2027.
If the study is published, investigators should acknowledge support of the Isaac Ray Program Forensic Research Small Grants Program.
Past Award Recipients:
Mindfulness-based intervention for violence-related PTSD symptoms in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups
Inger Burnett-Zeigler, PhD
The “I am Enough” Project
Tracy Fehrenbach, PhD
Intersections of Psychology and Law for Child Asylum Seekers
Rebecca Ford-Paz, PhD
Evaluation and Remediation Outcomes for Fitness to Stand Trial Evaluations of Youth in Juvenile Court
Philip C. O’Donnell, PhD