NIH establishes Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $24 million in first-year funding to establish Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence.

Part of NIH’s Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative, the centers will develop and evaluate innovative approaches to reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths and promote maternal health equity.

The grants are expected to last seven years and total an estimated $168 million, pending the availability of funds.

Compared to other high-income countries, the United States has a high rate of maternal deaths, with more than 1,200 such deaths occurring in 2021, the most recent year for which data are available. 

Each year tens of thousands more Americans experience severe pregnancy-related complications, which can raise the risk of future health concerns, including high blood pressure, diabetes and mental health conditions. 

There are stark disparities in these maternal health outcomes by racial and ethnic group, age, education, socioeconomic status and geographic region.

NICHD, the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health and the National Institute of Nursing Research co-lead the IMPROVE initiative, with involvement from several other components at NIH.

The centers of excellence include 10 research centers, a data innovation and coordinating hub and an implementation science hub. 

Together, these institutions will work to design and implement research projects to address the biological, behavioral, environmental, sociocultural and structural factors that affect pregnancy-related complications and deaths. 

They will focus on populations that experience health disparities, including racial and ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, those living in underserved rural areas, sexual and gender minority populations and people with disabilities.

Research centers will partner with community collaborators, such as state and local public health agencies, community health centers and faith-based organizations.

Additionally, the research centers will support training and professional development of maternal health researchers, including those from backgrounds underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce.

Funding for the centers was awarded after a competitive peer review process.