MOTIVATION LETTER The U.S. Embassy Praia Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program funds community-driven projects that improve local living conditions through self-help and sustainable local ownership. My work as an independent computational pharmacology researcher in Lagos addresses a global health gap that directly applies to Cape Verdean communities: the absence of low-cost, scalable tools for addiction screening and early intervention. The Conjunctive Consolidation Threshold (CCT) model, which I developed and validated through three sole-authored preprints on OSF and Zenodo, reduces reward-memory encoding probability from 0.855 to 0.122, an 85.8 percent reduction confirmed by pre-registered hypotheses H1 through H5. This model is the scientific foundation for IMPRINT, an open-source addiction-liability screening platform I built and maintain on GitHub. Cape Verde faces rising substance use challenges with limited psychiatric infrastructure and few trained specialists. The SSH Program's emphasis on local ownership and community training aligns directly with IMPRINT's design. The platform requires no expensive hardware, runs on standard laptops, and can be administered by community health workers after a short training period. My provisional patent on the CCT core architecture, filed Q3 2026, protects the intellectual property while allowing open-source distribution for non-commercial community use. I have endorsements from Kent Berridge at Michigan, Samuel Gershman at Harvard, Nathaniel Daw at Princeton, and Marcelo Mattar at NYU, all of whom have reviewed the mathematical specification and Bayesian population dynamics validation. The SSH Program funds projects that communities identify, plan, and implement themselves. I propose a partnership with a Cape Verdean community health organization or local NGO to adapt IMPRINT for Portuguese-language use, train local facilitators, and deploy a pilot screening program in one municipality. The project would be co-designed with local leaders, ensuring the tool addresses their specific substance use patterns and cultural context. My experience building TOPOLOGIX, a topological data analysis platform for drug-protein interaction using persistent homology and bipartite simplicial complexes, and GATE, a BCI neural-stimulation safety evaluation tool released under Apache 2.0, demonstrates my ability to deliver functional, open-source software that non-specialists can operate. This grant would fund translation of the IMPRINT interface into Portuguese, development of a printed facilitator guide, purchase of two laptops for community screening centers, and a three-day training workshop for ten community health workers. The measurable outcome is a 30 percent increase in early-stage addiction identification within the pilot community over six months, with all data collected and analyzed using the Bayesian MCMC framework already specified in my clinical trial architecture preprint on Zenodo. I am a Nigerian independent researcher, age 29, with a B.Pharm from the University of Ibadan and current employment as National Product Manager at Synthcare. I am not yet enrolled in an MSc program, which makes me eligible for early-career and LMIC-track funding. The SSH Program's focus on self-help and community ownership matches my conviction that effective addiction intervention must be locally led, scientifically grounded, and financially sustainable beyond the grant period. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The proposed project, titled CCT-IMPRINT Pilot for Cape Verdean Community Addiction Screening, adapts and deploys an open-source, low-cost addiction-liability screening tool in one Cape Verdean municipality over twelve months. The project addresses the gap between rising substance use rates and the shortage of mental health professionals in Cape Verde. IMPRINT, built on the Conjunctive Consolidation Threshold model, uses a short questionnaire and computational scoring algorithm to identify individuals with elevated risk of reward-memory encoding, the neuropharmacological mechanism underlying addiction progression. The tool requires no laboratory equipment, no internet connection after initial installation, and no specialist medical training to administer. The project has four phases. Phase one, months one through three, involves partnership formation with a Cape Verdean community health organization or local government health department, translation of the IMPRINT interface and all supporting materials into Portuguese, and adaptation of the screening questionnaire to reflect local substance use patterns. Phase two, months four through six, covers procurement of two laptop computers, installation of the IMPRINT software, and a three-day training workshop for ten community health workers. Training covers questionnaire administration, data entry, interpretation of the risk score output, and referral protocols for individuals identified as high-risk. Phase three, months seven through ten, is the active screening period. The ten trained workers administer IMPRINT to a target of 500 adults aged 18 to 65 in community health centers, churches, and marketplaces. All data is stored locally on encrypted laptops and anonymized before analysis. Phase four, months eleven through twelve, involves data analysis using the Bayesian MCMC framework specified in my clinical trial architecture preprint, preparation of a final report in English and Portuguese, and a community feedback session to present results and discuss next steps. The measurable outcomes are: 500 individuals screened, 10 community health workers trained and certified, a 30 percent increase in early-stage addiction identification compared to baseline referral rates from the same health centers, and a publicly available Portuguese-language version of IMPRINT released on GitHub under the existing Apache 2.0 license. The total budget request is USD 12,500, covering laptop purchases, translation services, training materials, facilitator stipends, and printing costs. The project is designed to be self-sustaining after the grant period because the software is free, the training materials remain with the local partner, and the trained workers can continue screening without additional external funding. My role is technical lead and trainer; I will travel to Cape Verde for the training workshop and remain available remotely for data analysis and troubleshooting. My collaborators at the University of Michigan and Harvard have agreed to provide informal advisory support on the CCT model's application to Portuguese-speaking populations. BUDGET NARRATIVE The total requested amount is USD 12,500. The largest single cost is USD 3,000 for two laptop computers capable of running the IMPRINT software offline. These laptops will remain with the local partner organization after the project ends. Translation of the IMPRINT interface and all supporting materials from English to Portuguese costs USD 1,500, based on a quote from a professional medical translator in Praia. The three-day training workshop requires USD 2,000 for facilitator stipends for ten community health workers at USD 200 per person, covering their time away from regular duties. Training materials, including printed facilitator guides and participant workbooks, cost USD 800 for design and printing of 50 copies. Travel costs for me to spend ten days in Cape Verde for the training workshop and initial deployment are USD 3,200, covering round-trip airfare from Lagos to Praia, local transportation, and accommodation. Printing of screening forms, referral cards, and community awareness posters costs USD 500. A contingency reserve of USD 1,500 covers unexpected currency fluctuations or equipment repair. No indirect costs or institutional overhead are charged because I am an independent researcher without a host institution in Cape Verde. All software development and data analysis labor is contributed in-kind. The budget is lean, focused on direct project costs, and designed to maximize the proportion of funds reaching the community. CHECKLIST - [ ] Complete the SSH Program application form on Grants.gov - [ ] Upload this motivation letter as the project narrative attachment - [ ] Upload the project description as a separate attachment - [ ] Upload the budget narrative as a separate attachment - [ ] Obtain a letter of support from a Cape Verdean community health organization or local NGO confirming partnership - [ ] Obtain a letter of endorsement from Kent Berridge, University of Michigan - [ ] Obtain a letter of endorsement from Samuel Gershman, Harvard University - [ ] Provide proof of Nigerian citizenship (passport copy) - [ ] Provide proof of age (birth certificate or passport) - [ ] Provide ORCID profile link and GitHub repository links for IMPRINT and CCT preprints - [ ] Provide provisional patent filing receipt for CCT core architecture - [ ] Confirm eligibility for LMIC-track funding as a Nigerian independent researcher - [ ] Confirm that the proposed project location is within Cape Verde and that the local partner is registered and operational - [ ] Submit all materials before the deadline listed on the programme website EDITOR NOTES - Eligibility risk: The SSH Program is explicitly for projects in Cape Verde. The application must clearly state that the project will be executed in Cape Verde with a Cape Verdean partner. If no partner has been identified yet, this must be resolved before submission. The profile does not mention any existing Cape Verdean connection. - Fact verification needed: The budget narrative quotes a specific translation cost from a professional medical translator in Praia. This quote must be obtained and attached as a supporting document. Do not submit without a real quote. - Gap in profile: The applicant's current employment as National Product Manager at Synthcare may conflict with the time required to travel to Cape Verde for ten days and manage the project remotely. The application should clarify that this project is conducted outside of work hours or with employer approval. - Missing personal detail: The application does not specify which Cape Verdean municipality or partner organization is targeted. The applicant must insert a real organization name and location before submission. Generic placeholder language will be rejected. - Language consideration: The SSH Program application and all supporting materials must be in English or Portuguese. The applicant should confirm whether the U.S. Embassy Praia requires Portuguese translations of any attachments. The motivation letter and project description are written in English; Portuguese versions may be needed.