Emerging Issues in Maternal and Child Health | HRSA 21 080

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 21 080

The Emerging Issues in Maternal and Child Health grant opportunity (HRSA-21-080) is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Its core goal is to help state and local organizations build stronger capacity to respond quickly and effectively when new or worsening public health problems begin to affect maternal and child health populations. Rather than funding a single predefined health topic nationwide, the program is designed to give communities a way to prepare for and tackle problems that are difficult to predict and that often emerge faster than traditional planning and funding cycles can accommodate.

The program defines maternal and child health (MCH) populations broadly, including women, children from birth through age 21, children with special health care needs (CSHCN), adolescents, and families. Applicants are expected to choose one emerging issue that is genuinely relevant to their state or local context and then carry out capacity-strengthening work that positions their organization and partners to respond in a timely, coordinated, and data-informed way. The emphasis is on strengthening systems and readiness so that the community can execute a response when a threat is growing, newly recognized, or changing rapidly.

A key feature of the opportunity is that funded projects must operate within at least one of three capacity-strengthening areas. The first area, Data and Informational Systems, focuses on improving the ability to collect, integrate, analyze, and use timely data to detect and monitor emerging threats affecting MCH groups. The second area, Workforce Development, centers on strengthening the skills and readiness of the MCH workforce, such as training, cross-training, technical assistance, and building practical competencies that improve response capacity. The third area, Strategic Partnerships, supports efforts to build or deepen collaborations across agencies and sectors so that responses to emerging issues are coordinated, faster to deploy, and better aligned with community needs.

In this program, an "emerging issue" is not limited to a brand-new problem. It can also be a condition or trend that is increasing in frequency or severity, an issue for which new evidence or awareness has shifted understanding of its impact, or an area where new solutions or approaches have become available. The unifying thread is that these issues are challenging to anticipate and may not have dedicated funding set aside in advance, even though they can quickly become major threats to health and well-being.

The notice gives examples of the types of emerging issues that could be addressed, while making clear that the list is not exhaustive. Examples include rising opioid and other substance use disorders, new or expanding environmental health threats, persistent or worsening inequities in maternal mortality, insufficient availability of behavioral health services, disparities in access to care for children with special health care needs, and declining immunization coverage. Regardless of the specific topic selected, successful proposals are expected to ground the choice in reliable, current data showing that the issue is affecting MCH populations and warrants an urgent or escalated response.

Applicants are encouraged to use their state Title V needs assessment as a major source for identifying and justifying the chosen emerging issue. Title V needs assessments are conducted every five years and are intended to evaluate progress, identify emerging needs, and set priorities for maternal and child health. The opportunity points applicants to the Title V Information System (TVIS) as a place to access needs assessment summaries and data, and it signals that applicants should use these and other suggested data sources to support their problem statement and proposed capacity-building approach.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted January 8, 2021, with an application closing date of April 9, 2021. HRSA anticipated making around six awards, with an award ceiling of $250,000. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is health under CFDA 93.110. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice, indicating the program is aimed at organizations positioned to operate at state and/or local levels and capable of implementing capacity-strengthening activities tied to an evidence-supported emerging MCH issue.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Emerging Issues in Maternal and Child Health" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.110.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 08, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 09, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 21 080

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