The F12B study section reviews fellowship applications concerned with emotional, behavioral, and developmental disorders across the lifespan. Also included are substance use disorders, as well as their effects on children when they occur prenatally. Emphasis is on psychopathology and disorders of aging such as: schizophrenia, mood disorders, suicide, anxiety and traumatic stress disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders personality disorders, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, traumatic brain injury and sleep disorders. Also included for review in the F12B study section are fellowship applications on basic biobehavioral, psychological, social and cultural processes governing affect (emotion, mood) and stress in animals and humans. Examples of specific areas covered are listed below:

• Behavioral, cognitive, emotional and biological factors involved in etiology of disorders
• Diagnosis and nosology of disorders
• Course and outcome of disorders
• Behavioral and pharmacologic interventions/treatments; adherence to behavioral and pharmacologic treatments
• Disorders of cognitive, sensory, perceptual and motor development: Included are disorders such as mental retardation, autism, substance abuse, addiction, attention deficit and learning disabilities
• Congenital and acquired disorders that affect brain development and behavior: Included are Williams syndrome, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury and CNS tumors/lesions
• Prenatal exposure to substance abuse and prenatal/postnatal effects of toxins
• Affect and stress processes in central and autonomic nervous system, neuroendocrine and immune function
• Psychophysiological responses to stress
• Functional consequences of affect and stress
• Comorbidity of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders

Shared Interests

With F01 (Brain Disorders and Related Neuroscience): Fellowship applications focused predominantly on anatomical substrates, neurotransmitter, and receptor function in neural disorders or injury, or on pharmacologic agents for substance abuse may be assigned to the F01 fellowship study section. Fellowship applications concerning developmental disabilities, substance abuse disorders , disorders of aging or psychopathology that are primarily behavioral in emphasis may be assigned to F12B. 

With F02A (Behavioral Neuroscience):  Studies where the primary focus is on neurobiology including psychoneuroendocrinology and psychoneuroimmunology may be assigned to F02A.  Studies in which the primary research focus is behavioral may go to F12B.

With F02B (Sensory, Motor, and Cognitive Neuroscience): Fellowship applications that emphasize underlying neural systems in these areas without specific reference to disease may be more appropriate for F02B.  Fellowship applications that emphasize behavioral mechanisms related to psychopathology, developmental disabilities or disorders of aging may be assigned to F12B. 

With F11 (Psychosocial and Developmental Processes, Personality, and Behavior):  Fellowship applications that emphasize individual differences, interpersonal processes, life course transitions, or contextual effects related to the manifestation, prevention, treatment or management of physical and mental diseases and disorders may be assigned to F11. Fellowship applications that emphasize the biobehavioral and behavioral (including central, autonomic, neuroendocrine, and genetic) bases of social, psychological or emotional conditions and disorders in diagnosed populations may be assigned to F12B.

With F12A (Cognition, Language and Perception): Fellowship applications that emphasize the biobehavioral and behavioral (including central, autonomic, neuroendocrine, and genetic) bases of cognitive, perceptual or communicative processes may be assigned to F12A. Fellowship applications that emphasize the biological or physical bases of social, psychological or emotional conditions and processes in disordered populations, including animal models, may be assigned to F12B. 

With F16 (Health and Health Related Behavior of Individuals and Populations): Fellowship applications in which the focus is on social or environmental levels of analysis or epidemiological studies of risk and protective factors may be appropriate for F16. Fellowship applications that focus on the individual level of analysis in child and adult psychopathology, behavioral and developmental disabilities and disorders of aging may be appropriate for F12B.