Upcoming Program Announcements (PAs) will advance the mission of the Indo-U.S. Joint Working Group
As part of its mission, the NICHD strives to help improve the health of children, adults, families, and communities not only in the United States, but throughout the world as well. Our neighbors in the global community often want the same things for themselves and their families as we do—health, happiness, security, and peace. Working together to achieve these things is mutually beneficial—it’s as good for us as it is for our partners.
In the near future, the NICHD will issue two PAs related to the Indo-U.S. Maternal and Child Health and Human Development Research (MCHDR) program, which began in June 2000 to further enhance cooperative biomedical and behavioral research within the fields of maternal, child, and adolescent health. The announcements will encourage scientists from the United States and the Republic of India to interact and to conduct preliminary studies on high-priority topics, such as preventing stillbirths and treating hepatitis in pregnant women.
"Scientific breakthroughs occur most often where the edges of different disciplines and perspectives meet," said Dr. Yvonne Maddox, NICHD Deputy Director. "The MCHDR program will continue to make gains in maternal and child health by supporting new collaborations between scientists of different nations and disciplines."
The United States and the Republic of India share a strong commitment to improving the health of women, children, and adolescents. Although overall health has improved significantly in both countries, scientists, health care providers, and leaders in both countries recognize that important research is still needed to achieve additional reductions in morbidity and mortality. The Indo-U.S. Joint Working Group on Contraception and Reproductive Health Research was formed in the late 1990s to identify and develop ways to enhance collaboration in reproductive health research between the two nations. Following the success of and interest in that program, the Indo-U.S. MCHDR program was established to apply expertise and resources in both countries to the goal of improving maternal and child health.
The goal of the MCHDR program is to facilitate collaborative research, which contributes to global understanding of the causes of morbidity and mortality in women, particularly mothers, children, and adolescents. The program emphasizes research which directly results in better health, with a focus on the development and delivery of preventative methods and treatments, improved evidence-based care, and increased understanding of the social and behavioral factors that affect prevention, care, and treatment.
The MCHDR Joint Working Group identified a number of specific, high-priority research topics for potential applicants to address. These include new newborn screening technologies, quality control in perinatal care, and methods to prevent domestic violence. Recipients are expected to use the supported projects as a basis for future, larger-scale studies in their research areas. More specific information will be available in the announcements, once they become available.
In addition to the Contraception and Reproductive Health Research and the MCHDR program, the NICHD is also involved in the Indo-U.S. Joint Working Group on Maternal and Childhood Infections and on HIV/AIDS.
The NICHD will provide links to the PAs, once they become available, on this page and on http://www.nichd.nih.gov/grants-funding/opportunities-mechanisms/active-foa. Please check back in the coming weeks.
Originally Posted: June 24, 2010
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