Programme Thesis
The Silvio O. Conte Centers program funds interdisciplinary research centers that integrate basic neuroscience with translational mental health research, aiming to bridge fundamental discoveries about brain function with novel treatments for mental disorders. It exists to support large-scale, collaborative projects that address major challenges in mental health through innovative, team-based science.
Selection Criteria
Eligibility: U.S.-based institutions (universities, medical centers, nonprofits) with strong neuroscience and mental health research infrastructure; foreign components allowed but lead must be U.S. Scoring: Significance (30%), Investigator(s) (25%), Innovation (15%), Approach (20%), Environment (10%). Reviewer priorities: interdisciplinary collaboration, translational potential, mechanistic depth, feasibility of center structure, plans for data sharing and training. Budget: up to $2M/year for 5 years.
Past Winners / Cohort Profiles
Past winners are typically large U.S. research universities or medical schools (e.g., Harvard, Yale, UCSF, Johns Hopkins) with established centers in neuroscience and psychiatry. Awarded to senior PIs (often full professors) leading multi-PI teams of 5–10 co-investigators. Named examples: Conte Center at Harvard (focused on mood disorders), Conte Center at UC Irvine (schizophrenia). No independent researchers or early-career solo applicants have been funded.
Ideal Candidate Fingerprint
A tenured or senior faculty member at a U.S. research university with a strong track record in both basic neuroscience and translational mental health, leading a multi-institutional team. The applicant should have substantial NIH funding history, a clear center infrastructure plan, and a compelling hypothesis-driven project that integrates multiple disciplines (e.g., molecular, circuit, behavioral, computational).
Recommended Framing
Eniola should not apply to this program as a lead applicant because it requires a U.S.-based institution and a center-scale budget. Instead, she could approach a U.S. collaborator (e.g., Kent Berridge at Michigan) to include her CCT model as a computational core within a Conte Center application, positioning herself as a key international collaborator from Nigeria. Her unique computational pharmacology framework and LMIC perspective could strengthen the center's innovation and global health impact.
Watch Out
Not eligible as lead applicant: must be a U.S. institution. No prior NIH funding or center management experience. Independent researcher status and lack of PhD or faculty position are major disadvantages. Budget and scope far exceed her current capacity.