Funder: March of Dimes
Due Dates: June 9, 2025 (portal opens) | September 8, 2025 (portal closes) | January 15, 2026 (notification) | February 1, 2026 (award start) | January 31, 2028 (award end)
Funding Amounts: $200,000 total over two years (includes up to 10% indirect costs)
Summary: Supports established researchers making translational discoveries to improve clinical care and outcomes for pregnant people and babies, focusing on preterm birth, maternal/infant morbidity and mortality, and pregnancy-related cardiovascular health.
Key Information: Open to global applicants; only one application per investigator; current March of Dimes grantees are ineligible.
Description
This opportunity funds high-impact translational research aimed at drastically improving clinical care for pregnant people and infants. The grant is designed for established researchers with a strong publication record in maternal and infant health or related fields. Projects must address one of three priority areas:
- Spontaneous preterm birth: Prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of disorders leading to preterm birth, with a focus on improving clinical care and outcomes.
- Decreasing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality by improving access to high-quality health care: Research that produces tangible solutions to enhance access and directly improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
- Cardiovascular health conditions developed during or exacerbated by pregnancy: Studies that characterize, prevent, or mitigate cardiovascular conditions arising in pregnancy.
All proposals must have the potential to improve clinical care and reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Research may include human studies, studies using human tissue, or population-level studies. Model systems research is discouraged but eligible if used to validate novel human disease processes. Projects involving information and communications technology innovations and multidisciplinary or community-based collaborations are encouraged.
Due Dates
- Application portal opens: June 9, 2025
- Application portal closes: September 8, 2025
- Notification of awards: January 15, 2026
- Award start date: February 1, 2026
- Award end date: January 31, 2028
Funding Amount
- Total award: $200,000 over two years (inclusive of up to 10% indirect costs)
- Funding is intended for practical, ambitious, and transformative research with clear clinical impact.
Eligibility
- Open to health professionals, researchers, epidemiologists, and social scientists with a doctoral degree and a faculty appointment (or equivalent) at academic universities, hospitals, or research institutions.
- Employees of small businesses, startup companies, non-profit organizations, or pharmaceutical companies committed to maternal and infant health research are also eligible.
- Global eligibility: Not limited to US citizens; international applicants are welcome.
- Applicants may not hold any other current March of Dimes grants at the time of application.
- Only one application per investigator (as PI or Co-PI) is allowed.
- Requests for exceptions (e.g., parental leave) can be submitted to the program contact.
Application Process
- Applications must be submitted online via the March of Dimes Research Grants Portal.
- Required materials:
- Project title and abstract
- Statement of objectives and hypothesis
- Preliminary data and background
- Research approach and intended deliverables
- Budget and justification
- Biographical sketch
- Description of available facilities
- Current and pending financial support (list all relevant grants/contracts; if none, state “NONE”)
- Only one application per investigator is permitted.
Additional Information
- Awardees are expected to attend key meetings related to their award, collaborate with other centers or organizations as appropriate, and participate in public-facing activities to help amplify the impact of their research.
- Awardees must notify March of Dimes of publications, posters, and presentations resulting from the funded work.
- Multidisciplinary and community-based collaborations are strongly encouraged.
External Links
Contact Information