Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded a $691,757 Project Grant to the University of California, Davis on June 1, 2026, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865). The project, extending through February 28, 2031, will develop and evaluate a virtual family-centered rounds (FCR) intervention designed to improve care delivery and psychosocial outcomes for families of critically ill children in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). The research will employ a dual cluster randomized trial comparing virtual FCR access with active implementation strategies (digital navigators) versus passive strategies (informative handouts/videos) and standard care. The project deliverables include quantitative and qualitative evidence on parent participation rates in FCR, utilization patterns, and psychosocial outcomes, alongside a comprehensive mixed-methods implementation evaluation.

This initiative addresses a critical gap in PICU best practices by removing physical presence barriers that prevent some families from participating in FCR—recognized as an evidence-based approach for enhancing family-centered communication, care plan understanding, and provider trust. The project will generate implementation science evidence supporting the scalability and effectiveness of telehealth-enabled family engagement in pediatric critical care settings.