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Science and Ecology of Early Development (SEED)

This initiative is a joint effort of the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch and the Child Development and Behavior Branch at the NICHD and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Since 2000, the initiative has supported research grants that focus on the mechanisms through which social, economic, cultural, and community-level factors, and their interactions, impact the early cognitive, neurobiological, socio-emotional, and physical development of children. Understanding the influence of these mechanisms is especially important for understanding the impact of public policies on the development of children at whom (or at whose families) these policies are often specifically targeted, notably children living in poverty or near the federal poverty line. Arenas of particular relevance within public policy include childcare, early childhood education, welfare reform, tax, social services, and family/work policies, as all of these shape the life experiences of children in poverty. The program has supported 14 grantees to date. The current program announcements: The original program announcement: For more information, please contact Rosalind King.