Connecting the Community for Maternal Health

This is a US-based competition open to non-academic 501(c)3 organizations. 

Please see the complete eligibility requirements here.

On average, 700 people die each year of pregnancy-related causes in the United States. The racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in these maternal deaths are stark. For example, American Indian/Alaska Native and Black women are two to three times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause compared to white women.  Identifying core risk factors and improving outcomes for under-represented groups of women - including African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latina - means engaging these communities in the research process to ensure their needs and expertise are captured.  As part of  NIH’s Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is sponsoring this challenge to encourage and reward non-profit organizations that do not typically participate in the federal research granting process to develop research capabilities and pursue research projects in the area of maternal health.

The goal of this challenge is to help community-based or community-oriented 501(c)3 (non-profit) organizations develop the infrastructure and capabilities needed to pursue maternal health research in areas that specifically impact their communities.  These advocacy, local community, faith-based, and other similar groups will receive training and mentoring in writing research proposals and assistance in building the infrastructure required for research activities.  There is a total prize purse of $3.038M, and winning organizations will also receive non-monetary incentives such as training and mentoring.

One of the best ways to make sure that something represents all parts of a whole is to make sure that all those parts can provide input.  The great disparity in maternal mortality and morbidity rates across different populations within the US is an indicator that disproportionately affected groups may not be fully represented in identifying and addressing key risk factors.  We want to encourage non-profit organizations to develop their own research efforts, so that they can produce data and research results that will help improve  maternal health in their communities.  Read on to learn more about why we are running this challenge and how your organization can benefit.

Background

Even taking into account factors such as age, pre-existing health conditions, and lifestyle factors, there are still large differences in maternal mortality rates based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background.  Developing new treatments, prevention methods, and diagnostic capabilities to help reduce maternal mortality rates for those groups at greater risk will require engaging them in the research process, so that their needs are identified and addressed.  

Community and advocacy organizations that work routinely with women who are African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic/Latina regularly see and address core risk factors for these groups.  Although many of these organizations are on the frontlines of maternal health, they may not have the resources and infrastructure needed to support continuing research work, and this may limit their ability to apply for and receive federal research support. 

In 2020, NIH launched the Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative. The initiative supports research focused on reducing preventable causes of maternal deaths and improving health for women before, during, and after delivery. IMPROVE includes a special emphasis on health disparities and populations disproportionately affected by maternal death and pregnancy-related illness, such as those groups listed above, very young women and women of advanced maternal age, and people with disabilities. NIH recognizes the need to engage and partner with groups that serve these women to understand their priorities and concerns and to conduct research in a culturally informed and sensitive manner. 

The goal of this challenge is to address some of the barriers faced by community and advocacy organizations in conducting maternal health research.  If you participate in this multi-phase challenge, your organization will have the opportunity to learn about building and sustaining research infrastructure and capacity and ultimately to conduct your own research project.  We will offer workshops and training sessions on topics such as how to write a proposal, how to stand up your research effort, how to report your research results, and more.   

Who is Eligible?

This challenge is open to all 501(c)3 organizations that are not institutions of higher learning.  Examples of eligible organizations include: advocacy, local community, faith-based, and other similar groups.  Additionally, you must have a primary place of business in the United States.  Your organization may choose to partner with other groups, but the lead organization submitting to this challenge must be non-academic, non-profit, and not a primary recipient of NIH funding (e.g., you may be a partner organization on a grant award or contract but your organization is not the primary recipient).  You may add or change partners as you move through the different phases of the challenge.

What is the Opportunity? 

This challenge offers participating groups the opportunity to learn how to effectively respond to federal research funding opportunities and how to develop and sustain research capabilities.  There is a total pool of $3,038,000 that will be distributed as awards across the duration of the challenge.  In addition to these cash prizes, groups that participate in this three-phase challenge will have access to numerous kinds of support throughout the challenge.  Starting with the Gathering Phase, groups can attend webinars that will help demystify NIH and its funding processes, prepare participants to submit a quality initial submission, and promote a community of like-minded organizations with an interest maternal healthcare research.  Groups advancing to the Proposal Phase will have customized, one-on-one support to help them prepare a comprehensive research proposal that includes the goals of the proposed research, its supporting rationale, a project plan, and other elements.  Proposal Phase winners will each receive $150,000 which could be used to implement their project plans and conduct their proposed research during the Research Phase.  These groups will continue to receive mentoring support throughout the Research Phase.  At the end of this phase, all organizations meeting minimum performance requirements will be eligible to share in an approximately $1.3M prize purse. 

Gathering Phase: Recruitment and Training Activity

Recruitment        The goal of the Gathering Phase is to identify and connect with eligible organizations, to inform them about the challenge, and to introduce NICHD and NIH’s IMPROVE initiative. This first phase is composed of two parts: Recruitment and Training Activity.  The Recruitment part is open to all interested organizations and occurs during the first half of the Gathering Phase.  Three webinars during this period to introduce the challenge sponsors at NICHD, to provide general guidance on proposal submission, and to share the opportunities that participation in this challenge will provide.  There will be question and answer sessions at the end of every webinar.   The webinars will be hosted by FedTech, under a contract agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on behalf of NIH to provide services in support of this challenge.

Training Activity    To participate further in the challenge, interested groups will need to complete an application form for admission to the Training Activity part of the Gathering Phase.  Up to 50 eligible organizations will be accepted into the Training Activity, and acceptance will be based on the criteria shown in the Judging Criteria section below.  We recognize that many organizations may be unfamiliar with the process of working with NIH and with developing and articulating their research ideas, and this Training Activity is intended to help bridge this gap.  The goal of the Training Activity is to provide training and support to all participating organizations to help them create a complete and competitive submission.  These brief, one-page submissions will serve as an introduction to the submitting organization and their research idea.   Research ideas must be relevant to maternal health in general and specifically aligned with the objectives of the IMPROVE initiative.  Up to 15 organizations will be selected to advance to the Proposal Phase of the challenge.   Each advancing organization will receive a $10,000 award.

The Training Activity will take place during the last half of the Gathering Phase.  During this time, FedTech’s regular workshops will provide deeper and more customized support on a range of related topics, including problem mapping, resource management, and project planning.  They will share case studies and will provide feedback on one draft of each organization’s submissions to the Gathering Phase.  Only groups participating in the Training Activity can submit a proposal to advance to the next phase of the Challenge. 

Proposal Phase

In this phase, each of the 15 participating organizations will work to develop a comprehensive research proposal over the course of 10 weeks.  Each organization will be custom-matched with a FedTech mentor, and there will be regular workshops and webinars on relevant topics.  Interactions with mentors and one another will help each organization develop a fully realized research proposal that is well-aligned with the objectives of the IMPROVE initiative.  For many non-profit organizations with limited resources, this kind of sustained effort is extremely difficult to undertake.  The $10,000 Gathering Phase awards may be used to help bridge some of that gap.  Up to 10 organizations will be selected to advance to the Research Phase, and each group will receive a $150,000 award that could be used to stand up their research infrastructures and pursue their proposed research activities. 

Research Phase

In this final phase, the organizations selected to advance from the Proposal Phase will have approximately a year to implement their project plans, conduct the proposed research, and report results. During this phase, each organization will continue to meet regularly with their respective FedTech mentors for specific advice and guidance, and all finalists will also be invited to participate in workshops and webinars to hear from different subject matter experts on topics related to maternal health and more broadly towards sustaining their research activities.  At the end of this phase, each organization will submit a report that summarizes their activities, research findings, and conclusions. This report will also include a project plan outlining potential next steps resulting from the initial findings and a proposed supporting budget. Organizations who are judged to have met the minimum performance requirements and satisfactorily provided the required information in their final research report will be eligible to receive one of up to eight Third Place prizes of $100,000 each. Those organizations who are judged to have exceeded the minimum performance requirements and demonstrated successful completion of their proposed research projects will be considered for a larger First Place prize of $300,000 and a Second Place prize of $200,000. Any prize purse funds that remain un-awarded following the completion of the Research Phase may be added to each of the prize amounts awarded to the winners of the Research Phase. The First Place, Second Place, and up to eight Third Place prizes will be awarded based on the judging criteria shown in the Judging Criteria section below. 

Challenge Structure and Overview 

Prize

*Amounts will be awarded based on performance during the research phase and will range between a 1^st Place prize of $300,000, a 2^nd Place prize of $200,000, and up to eight 3^rd Place prizes of $100,000. Prize amounts may increase if there are prize purse dollars that were not awarded during previous phases of this Challenge.

Timeline

 Webinar Schedule

Judging Criteria

Training Activity

Training Activity Evaluation Criteria

Training Activity Application

Gathering Phase

Judging Criteria

Submission Form

Proposal Phase

Judging Criteria

Submission Form

Research Phase 

Minimum Performance Requirements

All organizations participating in the Research Phase may be eligible to win a final award if they meet or exceed the minimum performance requirements.  To be eligible for any monetary award at the end of this phase, participating organizations must submit a final report that receives a minimum score of 65%, as determined by the judging criteria listed below.

 

Judging Criteria

Submission Form

Rules

Participation Eligibility:

To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, a Participant Organization:
 

1. Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge under the rules promulgated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as published in this announcement;
2. Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
3. Shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States;
4. Shall be a registered tax-exempt organization and meet the criteria as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code;
5. Shall not be an institution of higher learning as defined at 38 USC § 3452(f);
6. Shall not, at the time of submission, be listed as the primary awardee on an active grant, cooperative agreement, or contract award issued by the National Institutes of Health;
7. Shall not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;
8. Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity;
9. Who is employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this Challenge;
10. Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).
11. In the case of any individuals participating on behalf of a Participant Organization, shall be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.

Participation Rules:

1. A Participant Organization may not use Federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.
2. Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.
3. By participating in this Challenge, each Participant Organization agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
4. Based on the subject matter of the Challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from Challenge participation, no Participant Organization participating in the Challenge is required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in this Challenge.
5. By participating in this Challenge, each Participant Organization agrees to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities.
6. A Participant Organization shall not be deemed ineligible because the Participant Organization used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the Challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all Participant Organizations participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis.
7. By participating in this Challenge, each Participant Organization warrants that they are sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant Organization (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant Organization has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant Organization is aware.
8. By participating in this Challenge, each Participant Organization grants to the NIH an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere, and a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice, or have practiced for or on its behalf, the solution throughout the world. Each Participant Organization will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. To participate in the Challenge, each Participant Organization must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of the Participant Organization’s rights to the federal government. To receive an award, Participant Organizations will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to NIH, but Participant Organizations must grant to the federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein.
9. Each Participant Organization agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
10. Each Participant Organization participating in this Challenge must comply with all terms and conditions of these rules, and participation in this Challenge constitutes each such Participant Organization’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein.
11. As a condition for winning a cash prize in this Challenge, each Participant Organization that has been selected as a winner must complete and submit all requested winner verification and payment documents to NIH within 15 business days of formal notification. Failure to return all required verification documents by the date specified in the notification may be a basis for disqualification of a cash prize winning submission.

Additional Information

• By participating in the challenge, each competitor agrees to submit only their original idea. Any indication of "copying" amongst competitors is grounds for disqualification.
• All applications will go through a process of due diligence; any application found to be misrepresentative, plagiarized, or sharing an idea that is not their own will be automatically disqualified.
• All ineligible applicants will be automatically removed from the competition with no recourse or reimbursement.
• No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win the competition.
• Void wherever restricted or prohibited by law.