MCH Pediatric Research Network Program
This announcement solicits applications for the MCH Pediatric Research Network Program. The MCH Pediatric Research Network Program will support a translational practice-based pediatric research network that aims to improve the health of children by: conducting collaborative practice-based research to enhance primary care practice, developing evidence-based guidelines based on network research findings, and disseminating and accelerating the translation of research to practice. The network will be diverse and national in scope, enabling the study of racial/ethnic and rural/urban health disparities among children. The MCH Pediatric Research Network Program will identify more effective approaches to promoting children¿s health in primary care settings.  This will be accomplished through the establishment and ongoing development of a national network of primary care child health professionals who will collaborate in the development and implementation of research designed to increase critical child health care knowledge.  This cooperative agreement will support the establishment and ongoing development of a research network that will undertake the following activities: ·        Form collaborations with a transdisciplinary cadre of pediatric providers, including but not limited to family physicians, nurse practitioners, and other health care professionals in diverse settings such as community health centers, public health departments, and school health centers to broaden the scope of the Network and to ensure the broadest possible inclusion of pediatric providers in network research; ·        Develop and conduct research studies that address key issues affecting child health and pediatric health care and that integrate cutting-edge technologies and advanced methodologies; ·        Increase the capacity of network-affiliated primary care practitioners and other affiliates to generate and refine original research studies that address key issues affecting child health and pediatric healthcare; ·        Advance health equity by providing outreach to and conducting research that addresses the needs of underserved populations, including but not limited to families and children living in poverty, in rural and urban areas, from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, with special health care needs, or at high risk of poor developmental outcomes in physical, social, emotional, or cognitive domains. ·        Develop network infrastructure to enable performance of innovative health informatics-oriented research projects that integrate cutting-edge technologies and advanced methodologies to improve the practice and tools of pediatric providers; ·        Develop evidence-based guidelines based on network research findings for use by practitioners that will result in improvements in child health care services; ·        Foster the development and mentorship of junior and new researchers from among network members; ·        Disseminate critical information on its research findings and guidelines developed to health professionals, policy makers, and the public via peer review publications, presentations, websites, webinars, and other media; ·        Advance clinical science and accelerate the translation of research to practice; and ·        Leverage network capacity to implement research studies through both MCHB and external funding sources. 1.     Background This program is authorized by Title V of the Social Security Act, section 501(a)(2), as amended (42 U.S.C. 701(a)(2)). Multi-site research networks have been critical to health care advances across the spectrum of pediatric care, whether through disease-specific networks or primary care networks. Examples include landmark studies on secondary sexual characteristics, smoking cessation, body mass index reduction and immunization. Because most children are followed by primary care clinicians in community settings, this cooperative agreement is uniquely positioned to generate and develop knowledge essential to the maintenance and advancement of the health of the largest proportion of the pediatric population.  MCHB has supported this network since 1986.
Office: Health Resources and Services Administration
razuine@hrsa.gov
