Maternal and Child Health Measurement Research Network

The summary for the Maternal and Child Health Measurement Research Network grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Maternal and Child Health Measurement Research Network: Measures are essential to identifying needs, recording trends, and informing programs and policies.  MCH stakeholders are faced with challenges in accessing and using available data tools.  The purpose of the Maternal and Child Health Measurement Research Network (MCH-MRN) is to support a forum that will create a national agenda for health measurement research by producing an evolving compendium of available high quality measures of maternal and child health, and by identifying gaps in existing measures for future development purposes.  The MCH-MRN will thus provide national leadership in enhancing and developing a set of culturally appropriate health measures for: MCH programmatic planning; screening; service provision; interventions that promote physical and psychosocial health and well-being; and clinical decision-making for primary and secondary prevention of disease, injury, and behavioral issues among at-risk mothers, children (including children with special healthcare needs), adolescents, and families.  An improved understanding of the current measurement landscape is necessary to align MCH stakeholders and improve evaluation efforts.

The MCH-MRN will address health measurement research gaps among at-risk mothers, children (including children with special health care needs), adolescents, and families, with a focus on programmatic applications.  Examples of measures include but are not limited to: thriving, school readiness, executive function, allostatic load, data capacity, a scale for the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, adequacy of pediatric healthcare utilization, childhood resilience, flourishing, adequate content for prenatal care, and adequacy of health insurance.  Identifying measurement gaps will result in a more robust understanding of measurement needs in the field and harmonize measurement efforts among diverse MCH stakeholders.

The compilation of existing measurement tools and identification of measurement challenges and gaps will be an invaluable resource for the MCH community.  This resource will lend itself to the development of new MCH measures by leveraging external funds and fostering collaboration among MCH stakeholders.

This network will advance the field by compiling existing measurement tools, identifying measurement gaps, providing resources to MCH stakeholders, and ultimately producing a data source that will improve programmatic activities.  The MCH-MRN will have a strategic focus on health measurements among at-risk MCH populations, which will complement existing investments by other HHS agencies, such as NIH and AHRQ.

The goals of the research network are as follows:

1. To establish a Research Network comprised of interdisciplinary experts who represent the         MCH lifespan and who are active in the measurement of health and well-being of MCH

    populations;

2. To formulate a national research agenda with regard to existing and needed health         measurements for MCH populations with high relevance to MCHB programs;

3. To collaborate in the development, validation and implementation of new MCH health measures that address identified gaps, using external public and private funding sources; and

4. To translate and apply Network findings into a variety of practices, policies, and processes,       such as Title V programs, home visiting programs, Healthy Start Programs, services for      children with special health care needs, services that promote child, adolescent, and family   health, state and local health departments, community safety net programs, and other public     health programs serving MCH populations, particularly those that represent underserved    communities, such as low socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural             communities.

Consistent with HRSA’s mission as the access agency that provides services to underserved populations, applicants for the MCH-MRN should describe network activities that will address the needs of underserved populations, such as low-income, racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants, individuals who have limited access to services, and/or other underserved populations as defined by the applicant.

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s intent is to ensure that research activities are responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of special populations, that services are family-centered and accessible to consumers, and that the broadest possible representation of culturally distinct and historically underrepresented groups is supported through programs and projects sponsored by the MCHB.

The awardee will complete the following major activities:

Infrastructure Development:

Develop and maintain an interdisciplinary national network (hereafter referred to as “the Network”) of research entities;

Identify gaps, develop and/or update a translational research agenda for scientific studies building upon advances in research as a result of activities described in the incumbent’s research agenda;

Demonstrate the engagement of members in at least 4 disciplines to effectively leverage the network infrastructure and build the capacity to have a greater collective impact;

Communications:

Develop a schedule of on-going communication among Network members and with the HRSA/MCHB Project Officer;

Network Activities:

Foster collaboration among network members through ongoing interaction, sharing of information and tools, and development and implementation of research studies;

Institute monthly meetings among network members and/or advisory groups;
Set national priorities for health measurement research in MCH populations;

Collaborate with other federal investments in measurement research;

Conduct environmental scan of available measurement tools;

Conduct approximately 20 key informant interviews to inform the development of a strategic action agenda to enhance measurement capacity among Title V and related programs;

Identify gaps in existing measures  and develop and implement new MCH measures that address identified gaps;
Building the capacity to advance and implement critical research that will address the gaps and promote the research agenda identified by the Network, through both MCHB and other funding sources;

Assess the validity of any new MCH measures with special attention to the measure’s purpose, psychometric quality, targeted population, setting or conditions (e.g., stages of lifespan, health conditions, special populations, Title V performance measures);

Develop a publicly accessible compendium of validated measures;

Convene an annual Network meeting with key MCH stakeholder groups including representation from MCHB;

Submit at least one proposal for external funding;

Support MCHB programmatic measurement needs;

Accelerate the translation of measurement research to practice by providing evidence of network products being utilized in the field;

Provide mentored experiences for new investigators;

 Dissemination:

Develop and implement a plan to disseminate Network findings through at least two peer-reviewed publications, at least two webinars, Network meetings, and other related activities.  These activities should serve to facilitate the transfer of Network findings to a broader audience such as researchers, health professionals, policy makers, educators, families;

Maintain a Network website to disseminate research findings, generate interest in the Network, and expand Network membership;
Present Network findings at one or more national meetings to ensure appropriate MCHB stakeholders are aware of all Network resources;
Accelerate the synthesis, analysis and translation of existing and future knowledge to practice in order to provide MCH populations, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, family members and the greater public with useful clinical and public health information;
Accelerate the impact of measurement research into programs, policies, and processes for the reduction of health disparities among at-risk MCH populations; and
Provide an electronic copy of any products supported by award funds -- including guidelines, publications, books, pamphlets, slide sets, CD-ROMS, curricula, assessment tools, videos, etc., to be made available to the general public and to MCHB.