Research on the Structural Racism, Social Injustice and Health Disparities in Maternal and Child Health Pilot Grants
Accepting Applications
The MCHRI Research on the Structural Racism, Social Injustice and Health Disparities in Maternal and Child Health Pilot Grants is meant to address the impact of structural racism and social injustice as key drivers in health disparities that affect maternal and child health are critical to advancing research. Engaging with community partners in research is a key component in promoting health equity. It enhances the creative process by bringing to the table new and relevant insights and contributes to a culture of health equity in all aspects of translational research in maternal and child health. This funding mechanism seeks to support researchers who understand the importance of these practices and provide support for transformative scholarship.
This pilot grant is aimed at supporting research that not only highlights an important maternal and child health disparity (e.g. racial and ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic, sexual orientation and gender identity) but also focuses on reasons or drivers of these disparities. The projects propose action-oriented strategies to promote equity and improve health outcomes in diverse communities through policy or programmatic changes and innovations.
Investigators are strongly encouraged to engage in partnerships with communities when possible and are required to consult with the MCHRI Office of Community Engaged Research (OCEnR).
The project proposed must be feasible to complete within 18 months.
Total funding is $35,000 for one year. Funding is offered in the following categories:
- Category I: Pilot Early Career ($35K)
- Category II: Pilot Mid/Senior Investigators ($35K)
This award provides both PI salary and non-salary support for hypothesis-driven or hypothesis-seeking research that could lead to research that is externally fundable as a result of the proposed study. The study must be a pilot, concept, development, or feasibility proposal.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
April 10, 2023
NOTIFICATION OF AWARD
May 2023
AWARD START DATE
July 1, 2023
Forms for Applicants
- Applications welcome from faculty (CE, UML, NTLR, NTLT, UTL) at the Instructor rank or above. This mechanism is not intended for Clinical Scholars.
- All applicants must have, or plan on, having a focus on maternal child1 health research. Research must be primarily related to maternal child health. “Child” refers to the expectant mother, oocyte, zygote, embryo, fetus, infant, child and adolescent.
- All applicants and their mentors must be MCHRI Members.
- A Primary Research Mentor must be identified for instructors and assistant professors in all faculty lines.
- All applicants must continue to be appointed at the Instructor rank or above for the duration of the award, including any extensions.
- The following are not eligible:
- Visiting scholars to Stanford
- Senior Research Scientists, Research Associates/Assistants
- Former recipients of MCHRI sponsored awards who have not complied with award/reporting requirements.
- Mentor or applicants who have not cleared overdraft(s) in previous MCHRI awards prior to applying.
The project proposed must be feasible to complete within 18 months.
Eligibility by Investigator Type
| Instructor | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor | |
| Early Career | * | * | ||
| Mid/Senior Investigator | * | * |
Examples of Funded Projects:
- Research that engages with community partners to support under-represented racial/ethnic minority patients experiencing food insecurity and allergies through a pilot program.
- Research to determine whether shorter, more frequent telehealth visits are feasible for publicly insured children with type 1 diabetes without compromising outcomes.
- A pilot project to validate and improve an AntiRacism Perinatal Preferences Tool before use in a prospective study.
- A pilot project to collect vocabulary data of children from diverse backgrounds impacted by socioeconomic disparities (SES) to examine causal links between SES - related factors and children’s language outcomes
Further Resources
A recording of an previous info session:
"How to Embed a Racial and Ethnic Equity Perspective in Research Practical Guidance for the Research Process" by Kristine Andrews, Jenita Parekh, and Shantai Peckoo strongly encouraged to ensure that research topics include an equity perspective across the entire research process.
| YEAR | # of Applications | # of Awards | Funding Rate | Total Awarded |
| FY 23* | 9 | 6 | 67% | $209,827 |
| FY 22 | 13 | 7 | 54% | $244,112 |
| FY 21 | 28 | 10 | 36% | $344,516 |
* FY 23 Funding Rates currently reflect one of two FY 23 cycles
Please contact MCHRI Administration at mchri_admin@stanford.edu or 650-724-0279 with any questions.