"It's a chance for recognition, and also a chance to see a proposal implemented," she said.

Jeremy P. Waletzky, a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University, donated money for the award following a discussion on student depression with Kay R. Jamison, a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the keynote speaker for USHCB's "Caring for the Harvard Community" initiative.

Waletzky said he was impressed by the USHCB programs and decided Harvard would be the "ideal place" to start a student mental health initiative.

If the award is successful, it will be offered again in years to come and may lead to further joint health initiatives with students.

"We're always trying to think of ways to involve students," Semuels said.

The award was named for Edna St. Vincent Mallay and Vincent van Gogh, both of whom suffered from depressive illness.