Wellcome – Generative AI for Anxiety, Depression and Psychosis

Two-phase international call (accelerator stage followed by full funding phase) for fundamental research on using generative AI to improve the measurement or treatment of anxiety, depression and psychosis.

Founded in 1936, the Wellcome is an independent foundation that seeks to improve health by supporting researchers, addressing big health challenges, campaigning for better science and encouraging everyone to get involved with science and health research.

Up to £3 million per award is available through Wellcome’s Generative AI for Anxiety, Depression and Psychosis call for fundamental research on using generative AI to improve the measurement or treatment of anxiety, depression and psychosis. Successful teams will research how to optimise generative models for mental health or how generative AI, mental health professionals and people affected by mental health issues can work together safely and efficiently.

The application process for this programme is in two phases consisting of a four-month accelerator stage (consisting of a support package) followed by a separate call for grant funding for up to two years. Only participants selected for the accelerator stage will be eligible to apply for the subsequent funding call. The accelerator stage will support teams selected by Wellcome to conduct pilot studies to develop high-quality research proposals for the funding call.  Wellcome will run the application and selection process for the accelerator and Neuromatch will run the accelerator stage on behalf of Wellcome.

Generative AI has the potential to advance how mental health problems are diagnosed and treated, and to improve measurement and evaluation within the mental health field from symptoms to risks and outcomes. However, generative models were not built to diagnose and treat mental health issues, and there are very few high-quality benchmarking and evaluation methods and datasets relevant to mental health. In addition, there is no established best practice for how generative models should interact with mental health professionals and end beneficiaries.

This funding call covers all types of anxiety and depressive disorders (including obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder), and all forms of psychotic disorders (including schizophrenia, postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder). Wellcome does not specify any particular diagnostic or classification system, but expects applicants to use a framework and measurement approach that fits the aim of their study and to provide a clear rationale for doing so.

There are two programme aims:

• Aim 1: To create or improve models and computational approaches so that they can safely and effectively perform complex tasks to help address challenges in mental health measurement and intervention.
• Aim 2: To produce evidence of how generative models can and/or should collaborate with mental health professionals and end beneficiaries.

Proposals must work towards one or both of these aims. They should do so in a way that leads to a positive impact on how anxiety, depression and/or psychosis are measured and/or treated. The aim is to lay the groundwork for large and positive impacts of generative AI in mental health by funding the development of a new generation of mental-health-first generative models.

Projects must involve lived experience expertise of anxiety, depression and/or psychosis as relevant to the research topic.