This week is International Women’s Day (March 8) and this month is Women’s History Month. Women are making history in research and some of them work with MQ. One of those women is Marisa Marraccini, one of the researchers selected to be an MQ American Fellow in 2022.
Applications to become an MQ member in the US will open soon. The opportunity will mean that selected US researchers will receive not only financial support but also practical support from the MQ team. But what is it like to apply and be selected for an MQ scholarship?
The talented Marisa Marraccini kindly shared with us the inside story of the MQ Scholar application and selection process and what it’s really like to be an MQ Scholar.
How did you initially find out about MQ Mental Health Research and the MQ scholarship opportunity?
I was incredibly lucky to find out about this funding call through some of my colleagues, who received information via email, read about the award, and thought my work was a good fit. At least two different colleagues sent me the call and I immediately felt inspired to apply.
Can you tell us why you applied to be an MQ Fellow?
Until recently, my work has primarily used mixed methods approaches to intervention design, and my qualitative approaches were heavily influenced by user-centered design. But this call, which prioritized public and patient participation, pushed me to prioritize the principles of co-design. I already felt compelled to push my intervention to better meet the needs of hospitalized adolescents that are often overlooked in research, and this call gave me the idea to focus on partnering with youth to achieve this.
What was your experience before applying for the scholarship? And what study did you apply to do?
Over the past few years I have been involved in research that aims to improve supports and processes for youth returning to schools after psychiatric hospitalization for suicide-related crises, with the hope that we can leverage the school context to improve recovery and preventing suicide.
More recently, I have been developing and testing a virtual reality intervention applied to adolescents during hospitalization: this intervention teaches them therapeutic skills and provides them with opportunities to practice using it in an immersive school environment. My MQ Fellows award allows me to improve this work.
By partnering with youth hospitalized for suicide-related crises, we aim to expand these practice opportunities to be relevant to youth at high risk for suicide and youth who are often overlooked in research: specifically, youth racially and ethnically minoritized and youth who identify as LGBTQIA+.
What was your experience in the application process?
I took the application process step by step. Starting with the letter of interest, I outlined my goals for the project. Once I was invited to submit a completed application, I sent an email with lots of questions! MQ helped answer them all. The full proposal helped me conceptualize my ideas better, but it certainly took quite a bit of time as well.
Finally, I was invited to present my proposal, answering the awards committee’s questions. This might have been the most stressful part, but it was also the most exciting.
Tell us about the moment you discovered you had become a member of MQ. How did they tell you and how did you feel?
I received an email from Hala Rachidi at MQ in mid-December 2022. I was excited! I immediately responded with my gratitude to Hala, who, at the time, I felt like I had gotten to know throughout the entire proposal process. I felt very connected and excited to work with such a wonderful group.
What happened after receiving the scholarship?
I took some time to breathe. Then, once contract negotiations were complete, I began working on my institutional review and preparing for the study. I extended my start date by 6 months to align with some of my other research activities and have been focusing on some of the logistical aspects of the project since it began in July 2023. These aspects include contract negotiation, database hiring and security procedures.
What has happened in the project so far and where is the research currently at?
This project will be developed over three years. During the first phase of the project, I participated in learning more about co-design, specifically focusing on developing and refining our co-design activities and safety protocols to partner with youth with lived experiences regarding suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
In Fall 2023, I attended research sessions focused on partnering with people with lived experiences at the International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR) and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Suicide Research Summit. . Informed by these presentations, I further developed my protocols and sought feedback from the community.
My team and I have been preparing for recruitment this entire time and hope to begin actively recruiting teen partners this spring (2024), specifically with a history of hospitalization for suicide-related crises.
What are the plans for the project moving forward?
Over the next two and a half years, I will continue mentoring experiences and complete my research objectives that involve partnering with youth to improve our virtual reality intervention and conducting a pilot clinical trial to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the revised intervention.
How has MQ helped you network with other researchers or mentors?
As part of my involvement with MQ, I have connected with other researchers focused on suicide prevention and presented my work in London and New York. In London, I was able to connect personally with one of my mentors on the project, Dr. Petr Slovak. That was a real pleasure.
What are the biggest benefits of being an MQ member?
As a member of MQ, I feel part of an international research community that includes both MQ staff and researchers. MQ helped me facilitate additional partnerships and opportunities by partnering with other funders (AFSP) in support of this work and by introducing me to other researchers and community members with similar passions.
The MQ research team is based in London, UK, while you are based in the US. Are there any advantages or disadvantages to that?
While there is at least one downside to being a US-based researcher and being supported by a London-based research team (mainly the instability of the conversion rate when preparing my budget), overall it has been a positive experience.
Working with a London-based organization and being in the US means I am part of a global community. Being part of the MQ community has helped me launch my career from a US focus to global impact, as well as allowing me to learn and grow as a scientist in an international community.
How has the MQ scholarship affected your career?
This scholarship has been incredibly helpful for my career. It has provided funding to improve my intervention and is also fostering my own learning as a scientist. The call itself inspired a completely new approach to my research which has already led to other funded awards aimed at improving young people’s mental health.
Many thanks to Marisa for taking the time to speak with us and share her experience.
If you are interested in Marisa’s experience and would like to apply for the next round of MQ Fellows, find out more about the 2024 Fellows opportunity and how to apply on the MQ Fellows award page.
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