# ESSENCE (Enabling translation of Science to Service to ENhance Depression CarE) Capacity-Building

> **NIH NIH U19** · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · 2021 · $117,795

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT (CAPACITY BUILDING COMPONENT)
The overall goal of the ESSENCE Capacity Building (CB) component is to strengthen the capacity in the
four South Asian countries (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan) to conduct implementation research
in mental health; disseminate the findings to facilitate knowledge exchange; and promote the uptake of
research findings to facilitate evidence-based mental health policy making and program planning.
Implementation research is not merely limited to generation of new knowledge, but is equally concerned
with the consumers/service users and professionals in media who play an important role in dissemination
and exchange of this knowledge as well as with policy makers and program managers who are
responsible for uptake of this knowledge, ultimately translating this into practice leading to better mental
health outcomes. Our Capacity Building (CB) plan is guided by these principles and a theory of change to
bridge the science to service gap by building capacity of key stakeholders associated with knowledge
generation, knowledge exchange and knowledge uptake. Thus, our approach will concurrently address the
needs of researchers, service users, media professionals, policy makers and practitioners, and promote
interaction between these communities. Ultimately, ESSENCE aspires to build a wider collaborative
network of all these stakeholders, regionally led and coordinated by ESSENCE network partner
institutions, which will sustainably contribute to the goal of translation of science to effective
implementation of services to reduce the mental disorders treatment gap in South Asia.
A similar format of CB strategies will be used for building capacity of researchers, service user
representatives and media professionals, viz. online workshops and mentored fellowships. There will be
extensive use of technology to enhance access and sustainability of CB activities. Most of the CB
components would be generated for online use and would be freely shared through our network partners
to audiences in all participating countries. Professionals who are offered fellowships will be mentored by
an interdisciplinary pool of experts, amongst whom are international leaders in psychological treatment
research and implementation research, from all the partner institutions in the region and in the United
States. Policy makers and program managers in all the four countries will be engaged through series of
seminars to foster exchange and uptake of this research knowledge to develop mental health policies and
programs in the region.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10168619
- **Project number:** 5U19MH113211-05
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** Rahul Ramchandra Shidhaye
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $117,795
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10168619

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10168619, ESSENCE (Enabling translation of Science to Service to ENhance Depression CarE) Capacity-Building (5U19MH113211-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10168619. Licensed CC0.

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