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The foundation raises funds to support advancement of the AABC birth center model as the standard to improve maternity and women's health care. Based on a wellness model of pregnancy and birth, the birth center is a homelike facility operating within a healthcare system. Birth centers are guided by the principles of prevention of complication, sensitivity to the needs of the individual family, safety for both mother and baby, appropriate use of medical intervention, and cost-effective care. Birth centers provide family-centered care for healthy women before, during, and after normal pregnancy, labor, and birth. To help advance this mission, the foundation will award grants of up to $5,000 in support of research on issues related to the birth center model of care. The program is open to individuals or organizations, and nonprofit status or fiscal sponsorship is not required. However, applicants must be able to demonstrate capacity and a plan to complete the research in accordance with the project's timeline. 

CDC has previously implemented population based case control studies of birth defects known as the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) for births from 1997-2011 and the Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (BD-STEPS I) which started with births in 2014 and is ongoing. The purpose of BD-STEPS II is to identify causes of birth defects and stillbirths using epidemiologic and genetic research methods and provide information that could be translated into public health prevention messages. The activities under this NOFO will be supported by two separate but related funding components: Component A. BD-STEPS II Core. To support the continuation of the epidemiological and genetic research capability of the Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (CBDRP) through BD-STEPS. The intent of this BD-STEPS II is to carry out BD-STEPS using the same basic study design currently used by grantees with a focus on the key areas of: (1) maternal chronic disease and their treatments; (2) infectious disease in pregnancy; and (3) medications. In BD-STEPS II we will add focus on infectious causes of birth defects, and pilots will be conducted to determine feasibility of medication use validation. Both new sites and current BD-STEPS sites are encouraged to apply for this component. Component B. BD-STEPS stillbirth. To support the continued exploration of modifiable risk factors for stillbirths. The intent of this component is to conduct the BD-STEPS II Core interview and a follow-up interview with mothers affected by stillbirths and mothers of livebirths to conduct a case-control study of stillbirth risk factors. To be funded for Component B, applicants must have a responsive application for Component A and receive Component A funding. Both new sites and current BD-STEPS sites are encouraged to apply for this component.

The AABC Foundation, was established in 1994 by American Association of Birth Centers to advance public knowledge and understanding of issues related to family-centered childbirth. The foundation raises funds to support the advancement of the AABC birth center model as the standard to improve maternity and women's health care. Based on wellness model of pregnancy and birth, the birth center is a homelike facility, operating with a healthcare system. Birth centers are guided by principles of prevention of complication, sensitivity to the needs of the individual family, safety for both mother and baby, appropriate use of medical intervention, and cost effective care. Birth centers provide family-centered care for healthy women before, during, and after normal pregnancy, labor, and birth. To advance its mission, the foundation will award grants of up to $5,000 to support research projects on issues related to the birth center model of care. The program is open to individuals or organizations and nonprofit status or sponsorship is not required. However, applicants must demonstrate capacity and a plan to complete the research in accordance with the project's timeline.

REISSUE of PAR-18-733 The NIH Common Fund has established the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) to develop a pediatric research data resource populated by genome sequence and phenotype data that will be of high value for the communities of investigators who study the genetics of childhood cancers and/or structural birth defects. The overall goal of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Data Resource is to help researchers understand the underlying mechanisms of these conditions, leading to more refined diagnostic capabilities and ultimately more targeted therapies, as well as to develop an integrated pediatric research data resource by obtaining and aggregating genome sequence and phenotype data for as many relevant structural birth defects and pediatric cancer cohorts as possible and to advance research in this area through the broad sharing of these data with the research community. This FOA is intended to promote meritorious small research projects focused on the development and analyses of childhood cancer and/or structural birth defects datasets that are part of the Kids First Data Resource or could be included in the Kids First Data Resource. Development of statistical methodology appropriate for analyzing genome-wide data relevant to childhood cancer and/or structural birth defects may also be proposed.

In response to The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act ( https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/2019/text), NIH, through the Common Fund, has established the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First). The Kids First program is expected to be a ten-year effort (2015 - 2024) that will build the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Data Resource (Kids First Data Resource). The Kids First Data Resource will be populated by genomic and phenotypic data and will be of high value to the pediatric research community by facilitating data mining across diverse conditions. During the first five years of this Program, data were generated and made publicly available following sequencing of DNA, and some RNA, samples from pediatric cancer and structural birth defects cohorts as outlined on the Kids First Common Fund website at https://commonfund.nih.gov/kidsfirst. In addition to increased understanding of individual pediatric conditions, a goal of establishing the Data Resource is to enable discovery of shared pathways whose disruption may lead to structural birth defects and/or susceptibility to childhood cancer. Therefore, representation of a wide variety of pediatric cancers and structural birth defects within the Data Resource is essential. The overall goal is to help researchers understand the underlying mechanisms of disease, leading to more refined diagnostic capabilities and ultimately more targeted therapies or interventions.

The NIH Common Fund has established the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) to develop a pediatric research data resource populated by genome sequence and phenotypic data that will be of high value for the communities of investigators who study the genetics of childhood cancers and/or structural birth defects. Kids First has established and continues to develop a Data Resource including a collection of curated genomic and phenotypic data from childhood cancer and structural birth defects cohorts and a central portal where these data and analysis tools are accessible to the research community. Access to these data will promote comprehensive and cross-cutting research and collaboration leading to more refined diagnostic capabilities and ultimately more targeted therapies. This FOA is intended to support meritorious small research projects focused on analyses of childhood cancer and/or structural birth defects genomic datasets generated by the Kids First program and/or associated phenotypic datasets. Development of approaches, tools, or algorithms appropriate for analyzing genomic, phenotypic, and/or clinical data relevant to Kids First may also be proposed

Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development, the government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and Britain's Department for International Development, is seeking proposals for groundbreaking prevention and treatment approaches aimed at assisting women and their newborns in poor, hard-to-reach communities around the globe. Through this fourth round of funding, the program will support interventions that increase access to primary health care for women and newborns by at least 50 percent, substantially improve the quality of care as measured by health outcomes, and lead to improved and sustained healthy behavior.

Risky alcohol use can result in a wide range of negative health and social consequences and over time, can result in serious medical conditions, such as hypertension, liver disease, and various types of cancer. Prenatal alcohol exposure can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the developing baby and is associated with other poor birth outcomes, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, and sudden infant death syndrome.

The infant mortality rate (IMR) is a widely used indicator of the nation's health. In 2012, the United States ranked 25th among 29 industrialized nations, with an overall IMR of 5.98/1,000 live births.1 Most notable, the IMR for infants born to non-Hispanic black mothers was 11.19/1,000, more than double the non-Hispanic white IMR of 5.04/1,000.2 State public health departments lead infant mortality reduction efforts within their states with support of the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program.3 At the local level, Healthy Start grants are provided to communities with high annual rates of infant mortality (i.e., at least 1½ times the U.S. national average) and high rates for other adverse perinatal outcomes (e.g., low birthweight, preterm birth, maternal morbidity and mortality) in order to address the needs of high-risk women and their families before, during, and after pregnancy. To advance the mission of Healthy Start and contribute to state infant mortality reduction efforts, this announcement solicits applications for the Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network on Infant Mortality (IM CoIIN).

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to promote initial establishment of basic science-clinical collaborations by providing small grants to teams of basic scientists, physician scientists, and/or clinicians. These interdisciplinary teams may include but are not limited to the following: developmental biologists, cell biologists, geneticists, genomicists, physician scientists including individuals with DVM/VMD degrees, clinicians, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and/or bioinformaticists. Applications must include at least one scientist with expertise from the basic science side of the spectrum as well as one from the clinical side. The multiple PD/PI model is strongly encouraged but not required. The goal is to facilitate the gathering of preliminary data to support future, larger research grant applications that will combine expertise and integrate basic, translational, and/or clinical approaches to understanding the developmental biology, genetics, and/or environmental basis of structural birth defects.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to support novel research on how prenatal exposures contribute to the etiology of chronic diseases and health conditions later in life. The goal of this FOA is to stimulate research by leveraging existing birth cohorts to address targeted mechanistic questions regarding the normal and abnormal developmental origins of organ systems and/or diseases of interest to the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

Through this announcement, the Administration for Children and Families solicits applications from public or private non-profit organizations, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or for-profit organizations that seek to provide a high-quality, comprehensive birth-to-five program incorporating both Head Start and Early Head Start funding, or to provide for Head Start only or Early Head Start only, to children and families residing in Clinton County, Ohio.

The purpose of this FOA is to invite: 1) descriptive studies to identify putative juvenile protective factors, 2) experimental studies to test hypotheses about their effects on aging and 3) translational studies to characterize potential beneficial and adverse effects of maintaining or modulating the level of juvenile protective factors in adult life. Juvenile protective factors (JPFs), intrinsic to an immature organism, help to maintain or enhance certain physiological functions across all or some stages of postnatal development (i.e., segment of the life span between birth and sexual maturity), but diminish or disappear as the organism transitions from one maturational stage to the next. The loss or diminution of JPFs after a given stage of postnatal development or at time of sexual maturity may contribute to the onset of deleterious aging changes (e.g., compromised stem cell function and reparative capacity) across adulthood. This FOA is uniquely focused on animal and clinical studies which involve comparisons between juvenile versus adult states or between stages of postnatal development to identify putative JPFs and their effects on aging. 

The policies and priorities of the Allen Foundation: To make grants to fund relevant nutritional research. To support programs for the education and training of mothers during pregnancy and after the birth of their children, so that good nutritional habits can be formed at an early age. To assist in the training of persons to work as educators and demonstrators of good nutritional practices. To encourage the dissemination of information regarding healthful nutritional practices and habits. In limited situations to make grants to help solve immediate emergency hunger and malnutrition problems.

i. Purpose: The purpose of these activities is to support the goals of the HHS Action Plan for the Prevention, Care, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis, 2014-2016 (available at http://aids.gov/pdf/viral-hepatitis-action-plan.pdf) by ensuring Hepatitis B-infected pregnant women are identified so that their infants can receive timely post-exposure prophylaxis, improvements in post-vaccination serologic testing to improve efficiencies, and data collection to assess infant outcomes ii. Outcomes: Increased identification of Hepatitis B-infected pregnant women; increased rates of post-vaccination serologic testing among infants born to Hepatitis B-infected pregnant women; and assessment of factors associated with infant outcomes iii. Strategies and Activities: Collaborations: To maximize opportunities for Hepatitis B prevention through vaccination, referral for care, and treatment of persons found to have chronic Hepatitis B infection, this FOA encourages Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program collaborations and service integration as a program imperative of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. Such collaborations can increase efficiency, reduce redundancy, eliminate missed opportunities, and improve outcomes through the use of shared data and services. a. With CDC-funded programs: Applicants should create and build upon internal health department collaborations to improve identification of Hepatitis B-infected pregnant women; screen their household and sexual contacts for Hepatitis B and complete vaccination of susceptible persons; refer persons with chronic Hepatitis B infection for care and treatment; and report infants, household, and sexual contacts with chronic Hepatitis B infection to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. b. With organizations external to CDC: Opportunities for collaboration with non-CDC organizations will be encouraged; non-CDC organizations may include commercial laboratories and health system

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Research Conference Grant (R13) applications to conduct health disparities-related meetings, workshops, and symposia. The purpose of the Academic-Community Partnership Conference Series is to bring together academic institutions and community organizations to identify opportunities for reducing health disparities through the use of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). The objectives of meetings conducted as part of this award will be to: (1) establish and/or enhance existing academic-community partnerships; (2) identify community-driven research priorities; and (3) develop long-term collaborative CBPR research agendas. Thus, it is expected these partnerships will lead to grant applications for the support of CBPR projects designed to meet identified community needs. The areas of focus for these partnerships may include one or more of the following community-health issues: preterm birth; infant mortality; sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); maternal mortality; reproductive health; uterine fibroid tumors; childhood, adolescent, and/or adult obesity; violence prevention; perinatal HBV and HIV/AIDS prevention; HIV/AIDS prevention; asthma; intellectual and developmental disabilities; pediatric injury prevention; and medical rehabilitation.

The Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families' Family and Youth Services Bureau announces the availability of funds under the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Program. The purpose of the SRAE Program is to fund projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education that teaches participants how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity. The services are targeted to participants that reside in areas with high rates of teen births and/or are at greatest risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The goals of SRAE are to empower participants to make healthy decisions, and provide tools and resources to prevent pregnancy, STIs, and youth engagement in other risky behaviors. Successful applicants are expected to submit program plans that agree to use medically accurate information referenced to peer-reviewed publications by educational, scientific, governmental, or health organizations; implement an evidence-based approach integrating research findings with practical implementation that aligns with the needs and desired outcomes for the intended audience; and teach the benefits associated with self-regulation, success sequencing for poverty prevention, healthy relationships, goal setting, and resisting sexual coercion, dating violence, and other youth risk behaviors such as underage drinking or illicit drug use without normalizing teen sexual activity.

The mission of the Gerber Foundation is to enhance the quality of life of infants and young children in nutrition, care, and development. To that end, the foundation currently is accepting concept papers for health and/or nutrition-related research projects with the potential to have a significant impact on issues affecting infants and young children, from birth to the age of three. The foundation awards grants to research projects focused on solutions that, when implemented, will improve health, nutrition, and/or developmental outcomes for infants and young children. Projects may address etiologic mechanisms of disease; new, improved, or less invasive diagnostic procedures; reduction or elimination of side effects; alleviation of symptoms; new, improved, or less invasive therapies or treatments; dosage or dosing requirements or mechanisms for drugs, nutrient supplementation, or other therapeutic measures (under or overdosing); and preventive measures.

Stark disparities in prematurity are the primary contributor to widening disparities in Ohio's infant mortality rate. Current models of care have not resulted in reductions in disparities in prematurity, suggesting an alternative care model is necessary. The model should address both health and social factors that contribute to adverse birth outcomes. The results of this project will be used to create an evidence-based program that can be implemented throughout the State to reduce disparities in prematurity. The objective of this project is to solicit professional services to develop and test an Ohio-specific group prenatal care model and determine impact of the model on reducing disparities in prematurity among Ohio's high-risk women. Please see the associated PDF for complete details.

Healthy Eating Research is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program that supports research on policy, systems, and environmental strategies with strong potential to promote the health and well-being of children at a population level. Specifically, HER aims to help all children achieve optimal nutrition and a healthy weight. HER grantmaking focuses on children and adolescents from birth to 18, and their families, with a priority on lower-income and racial and ethnic minority populations that are at-risk of poor nutrition and obesity.