Project STRIVE: Mindful self-regulation to support resilient students
Official title: Project STRIVE (STudents RIsing above) - Offsetting the health and mental health costs of resilience
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11538100 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A mindfulness-based program is tested with BIPOC students who are academically striving to see if it helps balance academic success with better physical and mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $25,576 |
| NIH project number | 3R37MH128729-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11538100 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are BIPOC students facing chronic stress who are maintaining good or improving academic performance but show signs of stress or mood difficulties.
✕Less likely to help
Students without elevated stress or mood symptoms or those not engaged in academic effort may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project identifies BIPOC students who show strong academic resilience despite adversity and offers a tailored mindfulness intervention to improve emotion regulation. The goal is to understand whether improving self-regulation can reduce stress-related health risks and mood symptoms while maintaining or enhancing academic achievement. The study will examine how mindfulness practices affect internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression and influence physiological stress markers over time. Participants would engage in structured mindfulness activities and regular assessments, with outcomes including health and academic measures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, students may experience better mental and physical health without sacrificing academic progress.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests mindfulness can improve emotion regulation and reduce stress, but results vary and the program is tailored to a specific high-stress population.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lau, Anna Shan-Lai — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Lau, Anna Shan-Lai
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Project STRIVE: Mindful paths to healthier resilience for BIPOC students
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.