American women are more likely to die from childbirth or pregnancy-related complications than women in peer nations. Rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly among minority populations, continue to rise in the United States. To help address this crisis, NIH has announced a new funding opportunity—sponsored by the NIH Immediate Office of the Director (IMOD), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), ORWH, and other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices—to support research to help reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve the health of women before, during, and after delivery. 

The “Notice of Special Interest: Administrative Supplements for NIH Grants to Add or Expand Research Focused on Maternal Mortality” (NOT-OD-20-104) announces the availability of funding to leverage existing NIH grants to identify and address biological, behavioral, sociocultural, and structural factors that contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality, with a focus on disparities in maternal health. The initiative will also encourage researchers to investigate the potential effects of emerging infections, such as COVID-19, on pregnancy-related deaths and complications in different geographical regions and communities. 

More information on this notice is available here, and applications responding to the notice are due June 23, 2020.