Federal Grant Award Summary

Boston Medical Center Corporation received a $500,214 Project Grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) under the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research program (CFDA 93.307), awarded September 25, 2025, with a completion date of March 31, 2030. The grant funds the design and pilot testing of clinic-based health information technology (HIT) tools to improve retention in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The project addresses the significant public health challenge of food insecurity, particularly among Black and Hispanic households and families with young children, by developing technology solutions that enhance integration between pediatric primary care and WIC services.

The grant supports three primary objectives: (1) utilizing human-centered design methods to develop clinician-, system-, and family-facing HIT tools aimed at increasing WIC retention; (2) conducting a one-year single-arm pilot study to test the feasibility and acceptability of the developed tools; and (3) evaluating implementation outcomes. This K23 career development award responds to current NIH and NIMHD priorities to develop and test evidence-based strategies addressing food insecurity while reducing health disparities in underserved populations. The research will be conducted at Boston Medical Center's facility in Roxbury, Massachusetts, a safety-net academic medical center with substantial experience in clinical research and health disparities interventions.