Child Health and Human Development Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) Initiative

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the IMPROVE initiative in 2019 in response to high rates of pregnancy-related complications and deaths, also called maternal morbidity and mortality, in the United States.

The IMPROVE initiative supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy. It includes a special emphasis on populations that are disproportionately affected.

Select from the following links to learn more about IMPROVE activities or read a summary of activities in the IMPROVE FY 26 Fact Sheet found at https://https://www.nichd.nih.gov/research/supported/IMPROVE

Universities, colleges, medical, dental, and nursing schools, schools of public health, laboratories, hospitals, State, and local health departments, other public or private institutions, both nonprofit and for-profit, and individuals. Predoctoral research training grants to institutions are also supported. Proposed study must result in biomedical or behavioral research training in a specified shortage area, and which may offer opportunity to research health scientists, research clinicians, etc., to broaden their scientific background or to extend their potential for research in health-related areas. Applicants must be citizens of the United States or be admitted to the United States for permanent residency; they also must be nominated and sponsored by a public or private institution having staff and facilities suitable to the proposed research training. Domestic nonprofit organizations may apply for the institutional NRS grant. To be eligible for funding, a grant application must be approved for scientific merit and program relevance by a scientific review group, a national advisory council and reflect alignment with Administration Priorities.

Any nonprofit or for-profit organization, company, or institution engaged in biomedical or biobehavioral research and reflect alignment with Administration Priorities.

The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of the significance of the proposed research; approach; innovation; investigators; environment; and alignment with Administration Priorities.

Each application receives a dual scientific review by non-NIH scientists. Awards are issued by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). National Research Service Awards: Applications are reviewed for scientific merit by an appropriate study section committee or by an institute review committee. If recommended for approval and a decision is made to make an award, a formal award notice will be sent to the applicant and sponsor.

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines, or consult the specific Funding Opportunity Announcement listed in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts at: https://grants.nih.gov/funding/searchGuide/nih-guide-to-grants-and-contracts.cfm. General guidance about application due dates may be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/due-dates-and[1]submission-policies/standard-due-dates.htm

six to nine months.