The goal of the Biomedical and Behavioral Research Innovations To Ensure Equity (BRITE) in maternal and child health program is to stimulate maternal and child health equity research within institutions eligible for the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) R15 program.
The objectives of the BRITE R15 program are to:
- Provide support for investigators to conduct independent research pertinent to the NICHD mission
- Encourage and enable the use of innovative ways to strengthen the research environment and investigator record of research accomplishments
- Expose students from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research to meritorious maternal and child health equity research
Areas of research focus for the BRITE R15 include health equity and disparate outcomes in one or more of the following:
- Preterm birth
- Infant mortality
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Child, adolescent, and/or adult obesity
- Uterine fibroids
- Violence prevention
- Perinatal HBV and HIV/AIDS prevention
- HIV/AIDS prevention
- Asthma
- Intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Pediatric injury prevention
- Medical rehabilitation (e.g., spinal cord injury, TBI, stroke)
More than one area of research focus may be addressed only when scientifically appropriate. Health literacy and techniques for outreach and information dissemination may only be addressed in conjunction with one of the identified areas of research focus.
Applicants for the BRITE R15 must meet the same eligibility criteria for organizations and individuals required for the Parent AREA R15 program.
Program priorities include AREA-eligible institutions that educate students from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral science, including individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with disabilities as a strategy to contribute to a diverse research workforce.
To learn more about the BRITE R15 program, visit the program announcement Biomedical and Behavioral Research Innovations To Ensure Equity (BRITE) in Maternal and Child Health (R15).