The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has officially announced a competitive and highly significant call for applications for the Professor Tord Kjellström Indicator Development Award for Mental Health and Climate Change. This initiative is designed to support the development of a scientifically rigorous indicator that will track and monitor the mental health impacts of climate change-related hazards globally.
This award is established in honour of Professor Tord Envold Kjellström (1948–2025), a globally respected environmental and occupational health scientist whose pioneering research significantly advanced understanding of climate-related health risks, including occupational heat exposure and environmental change impacts.
The selected expert or expert team will collaborate closely with the Lancet Countdown team to design an indicator that meets strict scientific criteria and contributes to global climate-health monitoring systems.
Objective of the Award
The primary goal of this opportunity is to develop a robust and validated indicator capable of measuring how climate change influences mental health outcomes. This indicator will become part of the Lancet Countdown’s annual monitoring framework, contributing to global policy and scientific understanding.
The work will focus on:
- Developing a scientifically valid mental health–climate change indicator
- Ensuring methodological rigor aligned with Lancet Countdown indicator standards
- Collaborating with global experts in climate health monitoring
- Supporting integration into annual global reporting systems
- Advancing evidence-based climate and mental health policy
Funding Details
This award provides substantial research support for the selected applicant(s):
- Funding amount: Up to £100,000 per award
- Funding duration: 6 to 18 months
- Number of awards: One
- Co-applicants: Eligible
- Funding structure: One-off award
- Host requirements: Must be eligible to receive funding from Wellcome
Key Dates and Timeline
Applicants must carefully note the official timeline:
- Applications open: 1 June 2026 at 08:00 BST
- Application deadline: 12 July 2026 at 17:00 BST
- Duration of project: 6–18 months following award allocation
Late submissions will not be considered.
Application Process
Interested applicants are expected to:
- Review the full Guidance for Applicants provided by Lancet Countdown
- Download and complete the official application pack
- Submit applications via the designated Qualtrics submission platform once applications open
- Participate in or review the information webinar for further clarification on requirements
Applicants are encouraged to ensure that their proposals align closely with the Lancet Countdown’s scientific framework and indicator methodology.
For further inquiries, applicants may contact:
- Email: info@lancetcountdown.org
Expected Outputs
Successful applicants will be responsible for producing:
- A validated mental health and climate change indicator
- Scientific documentation supporting methodology and implementation
- Collaboration outputs with Lancet Countdown research teams
- Contribution to global annual climate-health reporting
Importance of This Award
Climate change is increasingly recognized as a major driver of mental health challenges, including anxiety, trauma, displacement stress, and disaster-related psychological impacts. However, global standardized indicators to measure these effects remain limited.
This award addresses that gap by supporting innovation in:
- Climate-sensitive mental health surveillance
- Global health indicator development
- Policy-relevant climate-health data systems
- Evidence-based climate resilience strategies
Eligibility Summary (Separate Section)
Who Can Apply
- Individual experts or expert teams
- Researchers in mental health, epidemiology, climate science, public health, or related fields
- Applicants with strong experience in indicator development or health metrics
- Institutions capable of receiving Wellcome funding
Geographic Eligibility
- Open to international applicants
- Applicants from all countries and continents may apply, provided institutional eligibility for funding is met
Required Expertise Areas
- Mental health research
- Climate change and environmental health
- Epidemiology or biostatistics
- Public health indicators and data systems
- Health systems research
For more information about this opportunity, visit here.
Discover more Global Award Opportunities on OFY here.
