Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 23 017

The NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network: Data Coordinating Center opportunity (RFA-HD-23-017) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U24; clinical trial optional) designed to support the data coordinating backbone for NICHDs long-standing MFMU Network. The overall aim of the Network is to improve obstetric care and pregnancy-related health outcomes for pregnant and lactating people and their babies. In practical terms, the Network is meant to generate high-quality evidence that can change clinical practice, especially through rigorously designed, multi-site studies that answer priority questions in maternal and perinatal health.

A central focus of the program is reducing serious harms tied to pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery. That includes maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and other complications that can arise before, during, or after birth. The opportunity also emphasizes improving infant outcomes by targeting preventable and high-burden issues such as prematurity, low birth weight, infant mortality, and both short- and long-term infant morbidities. Another stated goal is to expand the evidence base on the safety and effectiveness of therapeutic products used during pregnancy and lactation, an area where clinical guidance is often limited because many therapies have historically been understudied in these populations.

NICHD describes the MFMU Network as its primary, first-line infrastructure for implementing multi-site obstetric clinical trials. That framing signals that the Network is expected to be a go-to platform for large, complex studies that require coordination across multiple clinical sites, standardized protocols, high-fidelity data collection, and consistent oversight. Because this particular award is for a Data Coordinating Center, the funded entity would be positioned to support the operational and scientific coordination that makes a multi-site network function, including the systems and methods needed to plan, manage, and analyze Network studies (with the specific scope and responsibilities defined in the full funding announcement and the cooperative agreement terms).

The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, not a standard grant. In NIH practice, that usually means there is substantial programmatic involvement from NIH staff during the project period. The activity falls under the Health, Income Security and Social Services category, with CFDA number 93.865. While the listing does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the excerpted fields, it does identify the agency (NIH), the opportunity category (discretionary), and the original closing date (2022-08-11), with a creation date of 2022-05-06.

Eligibility is broad across public and private sectors in the United States. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as allowed. The announcement also explicitly calls out a range of mission-relevant institution types and community-based applicants as eligible, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISISs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the opportunity places clear restrictions on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In other words, the applicant organization and the supported components of the work must be domestic, consistent with the stated eligibility limits.

In summary, this opportunity is about maintaining and strengthening the data coordination engine for NICHDs MFMU Network so it can reliably deliver multi-site obstetric research, including (but not limited to) clinical trials, that improves outcomes for pregnant and lactating people and infants. The public health priorities are explicit: reduce maternal deaths and serious complications, reduce adverse infant outcomes like preterm birth and low birth weight, and close evidence gaps around therapeutics used in pregnancy and lactation, using a coordinated national infrastructure that can run high-quality studies across multiple sites.

  • The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network: Data Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2022-05-06.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-08-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
Apply for RFA HD 23 017

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FAQs: NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network - Data Coordinating Center (RFA-HD-23-017)

What is the NICHD MFMU Network Data Coordinating Center opportunity (RFA-HD-23-017)?

It is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity to support the Data Coordinating Center for the NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network. The award is intended to provide the data coordination backbone that helps the Network plan, manage, and analyze multi-site obstetric research studies.

Which NIH institute is behind this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with NICHD (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) within NIH.

What is the main purpose of the MFMU Network?

The Network aims to improve obstetric care and pregnancy-related health outcomes for pregnant and lactating people and their babies by generating high-quality evidence that can change clinical practice, especially through rigorously designed, multi-site studies addressing priority questions in maternal and perinatal health.

What does the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) role generally support?

Based on the description provided, the DCC supports the operational and scientific coordination that makes a multi-site network function, including systems and methods needed to plan, manage, and analyze Network studies. Specific responsibilities are defined in the full funding announcement and the cooperative agreement terms.

What type of award mechanism is used for this opportunity?

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U24).

How is a cooperative agreement different from a standard NIH grant?

In NIH practice, a cooperative agreement typically involves substantial programmatic involvement from NIH staff during the project period, rather than NIH having a more hands-off role as in many standard grant mechanisms.

What does "U24; clinical trial optional" mean here?

The funding mechanism is U24, and clinical trials are optional within the scope of the program described. The Network is positioned to implement multi-site obstetric clinical trials, but the wording indicates trials are not the only possible activity supported.

What research areas and public health problems does the Network prioritize?

The priorities described include reducing serious harms related to pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery (including maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity), improving infant outcomes (such as reducing prematurity, low birth weight, infant mortality, and other infant morbidities), and expanding evidence on the safety and effectiveness of therapeutic products used during pregnancy and lactation.

Why does the opportunity emphasize maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity?

The program description highlights reducing serious harms tied to pregnancy and childbirth, explicitly including maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, as central goals of the Network.

What infant outcomes are specifically called out as focus areas?

The opportunity emphasizes preventable and high-burden issues such as prematurity, low birth weight, infant mortality, and both short- and long-term infant morbidities.

Why is therapeutics in pregnancy and lactation mentioned as a priority?

The description notes that many therapies have historically been understudied in pregnant and lactating populations, leading to limited clinical guidance. The Network aims to expand the evidence base on safety and effectiveness of therapeutic products used during pregnancy and lactation.

How does NICHD describe the MFMU Network in terms of clinical trials capability?

NICHD describes the MFMU Network as its primary, first-line infrastructure for implementing multi-site obstetric clinical trials, indicating it is intended to be a go-to platform for large, complex studies requiring coordinated execution across multiple clinical sites.

What kinds of studies is the MFMU Network expected to support?

The description emphasizes rigorously designed, multi-site studies that answer priority questions in maternal and perinatal health, including (but not limited to) clinical trials.

What category does this opportunity fall under?

The activity is listed under the Health, Income Security and Social Services category.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.865.

Who is the federal awarding agency?

The federal agency is NIH (National Institutes of Health).

What is the opportunity category?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary.

When was the opportunity created?

The creation date provided is 2022-05-06.

What was the original closing date listed for this opportunity?

The original closing date provided is 2022-08-11.

Is an award ceiling or expected number of awards provided in the information shown?

No. The excerpted fields described do not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

Who can apply (in general terms)?

Eligibility is broad across U.S. public and private sectors, with many government, academic, nonprofit, and business entity types listed as eligible.

Are state and local governments eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, and city or township governments, as well as special district governments.

Are institutions of higher education eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education.

Are nonprofits eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education within those nonprofit categories as stated).

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses.

Are federally recognized Tribal governments eligible to apply?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are listed as eligible applicants.

Are Tribal organizations that are not federally recognized eligible to apply?

Yes. Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments are included among eligible applicants, and the announcement also calls out Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized.

Are U.S. territories and possessions eligible?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly called out as eligible.

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly identified among eligible applicants.

Are minority-serving institutions mentioned as eligible?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly calls out multiple mission-relevant institution types as eligible, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISISs.

Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply.

Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component as part of the application?

No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed.

What does the opportunity imply about where the work must be performed?

Based on the stated restrictions, the applicant organization and supported components of the work must be domestic (U.S.-based), consistent with the eligibility limits that exclude non-U.S. entities and foreign components.

What is the practical impact of having a coordinated multi-site network for obstetric research?

The description emphasizes that the Network enables large, complex studies that require coordination across multiple clinical sites, standardized protocols, high-fidelity data collection, and consistent oversight, with the goal of producing evidence that can change clinical practice.

Where are the detailed scope and responsibilities for the DCC defined?

The description indicates that the specific scope and responsibilities are defined in the full funding announcement and the cooperative agreement terms.

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