Special Projects of Regional and National Significance

The Special Projects of Regional and National Significance Program (SPRANS) carries out maternal and child health (MCH) projects to support training and research; oral health integration; genetic disease testing, counseling, and information developme

The Special Projects of Regional and National Significance Program (SPRANS) carries out maternal and child health (MCH) projects to support training and research; oral health integration; genetic disease testing, counseling, and information development and dissemination programs; newborn screening for sickle cell anemia and other genetic disorders; and comprehensive hemophilia diagnostic and treatment centers. The Supporting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Screening and Intervention helps reduce alcohol use during pregnancy and improves outcomes for children with FASD nationwide, especially in communities where there is a high rate of binge drinking during pregnancy, including rural areas and medically underserved communities. The program focuses on educating primary care providers and increasing the use of screening, intervention, and referral processes for high-risk pregnancies. The State Maternal Health Innovation program creates state-led maternal health task forces to bring together the voices of key leaders, and pregnant and postpartum individuals using state-specific maternal health data to develop and implement innovative approaches to address the most pressing maternal health needs and disparities. State approaches include strengthening partnerships and collaborations, improving state-level data surveillance on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, and promoting and executing innovation in maternal health service delivery. The MCH Research Portfolio includes the MCH Research Consortium, Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions, MCH Research Network, and MCH Field-Initiated Innovative Research Studies programs. The research portfolio advances maternal and child health by generating and testing innovative, real-world approaches to improve population-level outcomes. The program addresses critical evidence gaps through the development of research infrastructure and the conduct of rigorous, community-engaged research in close partnership with families and other stakeholders. MCH RNs focus on collaborative, interdisciplinary. The Children's Safety Network (CSN) purpose is to increase the capacity of Title V agencies to adopt and implement evidence-based child and adolescent safety programs, practices, and policies, with a specific focus on injury and violence-related to Title V performance and outcome measures, such as injury hospitalizations, bullying, safe sleep, and suicide, as well as leading causes of injury-related deaths among children and adolescents (e.g., motor vehicle crashes, firearms, and poisonings).

Training grants may be made to public or private nonprofit institutions of higher learning. Research grants may be made to public or private nonprofit institutions of higher learning and public or private nonprofit private agencies and organizations engaged in research or in MCH or Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) programs. Any public or private entity is eligible for hemophilia, genetics, and environmental health grants and other special project grants, including SPRANS and CISS. Eligible entities for the Supporting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Screening and Intervention program are any domestic public or private entity, including Indian tribes or tribal organizations (as those terms are defined at 25 U.S.C. 450b). See 42 CFR § 51a.3(a), and domestic faith-based and community-based organizations. Eligible entities for the State Maternal Health Innovation program include any domestic public or private entity, including Indian tribes or tribal organizations, as well as domestic faith-based and community-based organizations. Eligible entities for the Integrated Maternal Health Services program include any domestic public or private entity, including Indian tribes or tribal organizations, as well as domestic faith-based and community-based organizations.

Specialized group (e.g. health professionals, students, veterans), Health Professional, Student/Trainee, Women, Infant (0-5), Child (6-15) For training grants: (1) Trainees in the health professions related to MCH; and (2) mothers and children who receive services through training programs. For research grants: public or private nonprofit agencies and organizations engaged in research in MCH or CSHCN programs. For hemophilia, sickle cell, thalassemia, genetics, newborn screening, environmental health, and other special projects: (1) Public or private agencies, organizations and institutions; and (2) mothers and children, and individuals with genetic conditions (any age) who receive services through the programs.

Training grants are made to institutions of higher learning for training personnel for health care and related services for mothers and children. Research grants are for the purpose of research activities which show promise of a substantial contribution to the advancement of maternal and child health (MCH) services. Technical assistance grants support the effective and accurate use of data and evidence to support program development and implementation as well as performance measurement and evaluation. Genetic grants are for genetic disease testing, counseling and information development and dissemination. Hemophilia grants are for the support of centers which provide hemophilia diagnostic and treatment services. Sickle cell disease grants are made to support follow up for infants with sickle cell identified through newborn screening. Environmental health grants are made to decrease maternal and child morbidity and mortality associated with pre-and post-natal environmental exposures. Other special project grants are designed to support activities of a demonstration nature, which are designed to improve services for mothers and children.

Indirect costs that are allowed for administrative costs incurred as a result of the training grants project, are limited to 8 percent of direct costs.

Refer to the NOFO for details. Awards are made annually, in accordance with the project period method of awarding grants.

An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Evaluation criteria vary based on the grant/cooperative agreement program. Refer to criteria included in the notice of funding opportunity for each specific program.

All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. Based on the recommendations of the objective review committee, the HRSA program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions. Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Award.

Final decisions are made 4 to 6 months after receipt of applications.

Competitive awards are typically made for up to 2 to 5 years, subject to the availability of funds. After initial awards, annual noncompetitive awards may be made contingent upon the submission of noncompetitive applications/progress reports and availability of funds and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government.