About
IMPROVE Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence Initiative
Maternal Health Centers of Excellence are part of National Institutes of Health’s Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) Initiative aiming to develop, implement, and evaluate community-tailored maternal health interventions. The IMPROVE Initiative supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during, and after delivery. It includes a special emphasis on health disparities and populations that are disproportionately affected, such as racial and ethnic minorities, very young women and women of advanced maternal age, and people with disabilities.
Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence
The Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence include ten Research Centers, a Data Innovation and Coordination Hub, and an Implementation Science Hub. Together, these institutions will work to design and conduct research projects to address the biological, behavioral, environmental, socio-cultural, and structural factors that affect pregnancy-related complications and deaths. The research will focus on populations that experience health disparities, including racial and ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, those living in underserved rural areas, sexual and gender minority populations, and people with disabilities.
Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence are comprised of multidisciplinary teams, including academic, clinical, and community partners. In addition to conducting novel research projects with the potential to drastically reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths and building community partnerships, the Centers of Excellence will support training and professional development for maternal health investigators. These activities will prioritize early-stage investigators and those from backgrounds or identities currently underrepresented in the health sciences.
IMPROVE Initiative Aims
Reduce preventable causes of maternal morbidity and mortality.
Address disparities in maternal health outcomes.
Expand implementation of evidence-based maternal health care practices before, during, and after pregnancy.
Breadth Of Science
The IMPROVE initiative supports research across diverse settings, exploring a wide range of topics and conditions that impact the well-being of mothers.
Conditions
- Anemia
- Gestational diabetes
- Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
- Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Substance use disorders
Social Determinants of Health
- Access to care
- Food insecurity
- Housing instability
- Interpersonal violence
- Nutrition disparities
- Resource access
Focus Populations
- American Indian/Alaskan Native populations
- Asian populations
- Black populations
- Hispanic populations
- Low socioeconomic status groups
- Rural communities
Novel Research Approaches
- Generative artificial intelligence
- Engaging non-traditional partners in research
- Studying integrated care models
Healthcare Aspects
- Clinical interventions
- Patient-centered care
- Implicit provider biases
Pregnancy Stages
- Prenatal
- Labor & Delivery
- Postpartum
Johns Hopkins University: Data Innovation and Coordination Hub
The Data Innovation and Coordination Hub at Johns Hopkins University works to strengthen the coordination of new and innovative research and practice efforts in maternal health. The Hub will work closely with the Research Centers and other IMPROVE investigators to facilitate high quality data collection, analysis, and sharing of data and key research findings. Of key interest is the utilization of common data elements and standardized research methodologies across Research Centers. The Hub will offer training and career development opportunities in data science to Research Centers’ affiliates.
University of Pennsylvania: Implementation Science Hub
The Achieving Maternal Equity and Transforming Health through Implementation Science and Training (AMETHIST) Hub works to promote the integration of research findings and evidence into public health, clinical practice, and community settings. The Hub seeks to advance maternal health equity by facilitating implementation research that centers the needs and perspectives of patients, communities, and populations with health disparities. The Hub will offer training and career development opportunities in implementation science to Research Centers’ affiliates.
Centers of Excellence
- Addressing Key Social-Structural Risk Factors for Racial Disparities in Maternal Morbidity in Southeastern Wisconsin (ASCEND-WI) at the Medical College of Wisconsin
- Center for Indigenous Resilience, Culture, and Maternal Health Equity (CIRCLE) at University of Oklahoma
- Center to Advance Reproductive Justice and Behavioral Health among Black Pregnant/Postpartum Women and Birthing People (CORAL) at Morehouse School of Medicine
- Community-Hospital-Academic Maternal Health Equity Partnerships (NY-CHAMP) at Columbia University
- Delta Mississippi Center of Excellence in Maternal Health at Jackson State University
ELEVATE Maternal Health Center of Excellence at University of Utah
Maternal American Indian Rural Community Health (MARCH) at Avera McKennan
Maternal Health Multilevel Interventions for Racial Equity (MIRACLE) at Michigan State University & Henry Ford Health
Preventing Inequities in Hemorrhage-related Severe Maternal Morbidity (PRIHSM) at Stanford University
Southern Center for Maternal Health Equity at Tulane University