This Research Appreciation Day is focused on careers in research. MQ is committed to supporting researchers in order to grow the mental health research workforce and get us nearer to the next breakthrough in mental health.
For too long, mental health research has been underfunded. However, that hasn’t stopped people from wanting to dedicate their time and careers to learning about mental illnesses and developing effective solutions.
But without funding to support these talented researchers, too many have been forced out of the field because there simply are not enough research grants to go around.
For the last 12 years, MQ has worked to support and grow the research workforce through our Fellowship programme. We have funded 68 incredible researchers across 14 countries and helped to retain their talent and skills within mental health science, and support them to accelerate our understanding of different mental health conditions.
In 2024, MQ launched our Scholarships programme for early career researchers to further develop the research workforce.
Whilst MQ’s flagship Fellowships are aimed at researchers who already have 5-7 years of experience, the new MQ Scholarships support researchers who have recently gained their Doctorates or PhDs.
In addition to this, The MQ Transdisciplinary Grants programme, funded by Wellcome, are for researchers working in fields outside of the traditional mental health science disciplines to encourage them to use their unique insights to further mental health research.
Supporting careers is more than just funding
At MQ we understand that funding isn’t enough to grow and develop the research workforce. By facilitating collaboration and networking though our convening work, we help to foster connections between researchers at different stages of their careers.
Providing training, such as through our data science workshops with DATAMIND or our Research Impact Accelerator work to help researchers develop their theory of change all helps to grow skills.
