Using mobile technologies to more rapidly and accurately assess and modify behavior, biological states and contextual variables has great potential to transform medical research.  Recent advances in mobile technologies and the ubiquitous nature of these technologies in daily life (e.g., smart phones, sensors) have created opportunities for research applications that were not previously possible (e.g., simultaneously assessing biological, behavioral, physiological, and psychological states in the real world and intervening in real-time). Importantly, much of the work being done in mobile and wireless health (mHealth)  arises from siloed fields with a focus on the creation of products with little reference to previous research or to have any potential application in biomedical settings. Further, it often lacks input from cutting edge science in computing and engineering. Products uninformed by research will not be maximally effective. The gap between technology development and health research can be reduced by conducting cross-training between investigators in these fields. Bringing these groups together will allow for collaboration and cross-fertilization that is unlikely in other discipline or trade-specific venues.

To address these issues, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) will conduct a National Institutes of Health-funded five-day training Institute on August 24-28, 2015.  The Institute will bring together leaders in mobile technology and behavioral sciences to lead a cross-training event for early career investigators with interest in mHealth. Organized by Vivek Shetty at the University of California, Los Angeles, core faculty for the training include: Santosh Kumar, University of Memphis; Susan Murphy, University of Michigan; James M. Rehg, PhD, Georgia Tech; Donna Spruijt-Metz, PhD, University of Southern California; Mani Srivastava, University of California, Los Angeles; Steven Steinhubl, M.D, Scripps Translational Science Institute; and, Bonnie Zima, MD, University of California, Los Angeles. The training curriculum will cover the current state of the science in mobile technology computing and engineering, behavior change and clinical applications, and highlight the intersection among these areas for research related to health. Daily didactic sessions will target the major cross-cutting research issues.  Afternoons will be devoted to small, interdisciplinary teams developing potential mHealth research projects, guided by multidisciplinary mentorship teams.

Candidate Requirements:

· Hold a doctoral level degree (PhD, ScD, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.) in any of the following areas:

·  Behavioral and Social sciences

· Medical, Health or Dental sciences

· Biological, Physical or Earth sciences

· Computational Sciences and Mathematics

· Engineering

· Interest in the multidisciplinary science of mobile and wireless technologies

· Applicants are NOT required to be citizens, permanent residents, or non-citizen nationals of the United States. HOWEVER, expenses will only be paid for domestic (within the U.S.) travel. Preference will be given to applicants who plan to use the training to inform research on health problems.

What you will need to apply:

1. Personal Information.

2.  Applicant Background.  Provide a brief summary of your professional background. Be sure to include the expertise  you bring that is relevant to realizing the full potential of mHealth research.  (no more than one-half page)

3.Research interests.  Describe a succinct, testable research question that you are interested in addressing with mHealth methodologies. Examples could include such topics as: Can a body sensor network be used to monitor emotional state? Can a personalized health record be both useful to patients and utilized to collect research data? Can a cell-phone based intervention for smokers reduce quit rates more than treatment as usual? This document may inform the selection of team projects and is intended to solicit your perspectives on the potential of mobile technologies to address critical public health challenges and approaches to building the evidence base that will inform how best to harness these technologies.  (No more than 1 page).

4.  Team Section: The mHealth Institute environment is especially suited to individuals who are willing to step outside their particular area of interest or expertise, who are positively driven, who enjoy creative activity, who can think innovatively and who can settle in easily in the company of strangers. Please describe an experience you have had in a comparable environment, especially one in which you worked in a team. What would you personally and professionally gain from participating in this Institute? (No more than 1 page)

5.  Applicant’s Curriculum vitae: Upload your Curriculum Vitae.

6.  Letter of Support: Signed letter of support from the applicant’s Dean, Department Chair or Employer. This letter should include a description of the strengths and research potential of the participants. It should also include confirmation that if participants are invited to attend the training, they will be released from regular duties during training period (August 24-28).

Applications are now being accepted through April 11 (date was just extended).
Notifications made no later than June 10, 2015

Please see the website for more information.