CAPSTONE Centers for Multidisciplinary Research in Child Abuse and Neglect (P50) | RFA HD 18 012

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 18 012

The CAPSTONE Centers for Multidisciplinary Research in Child Abuse and Neglect (P50) funding opportunity (RFA-HD-18-012) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services initiative to establish one or more specialized research centers that function as flagship, multidisciplinary hubs for child maltreatment research. Using the P50 specialized center mechanism, the program is designed to concentrate expertise, infrastructure, and coordinated projects within a single center framework so that the resulting work is not just a collection of separate studies, but an integrated, high-impact research program that can also serve as a national resource for the broader field of child abuse and neglect.

At its core, the FOA prioritizes innovative, high-quality research that advances both scientific understanding and clinical practice around child maltreatment. The research agenda specifically calls for (1) clinical trials that test the efficacy and real-world effectiveness of interventions, reflecting a strong interest in evidence that can guide what works in clinical and service settings. It also calls for (2) longitudinal, prospective studies that follow children over time to clarify long-term outcomes from particular and understudied forms of maltreatment. Examples explicitly highlighted include abusive head trauma, medical child abuse and neglect, and chronic sexual abuse, all areas where long-term trajectories, risk factors, and downstream impacts may be under-characterized compared to more broadly studied categories of maltreatment. In addition, the FOA emphasizes (3) studies on the neurobiology of abuse and neglect and how biological changes or mechanisms relate to later health outcomes, signaling an interest in translational work that connects experiences of maltreatment to measurable biological and developmental consequences. Finally, it calls for (4) research that develops and tests screening tools and clinical assessment measures to improve early identification and treatment of specific maltreatment types, with the explicit public health aim of reducing morbidity and mortality and better detecting potential comorbidities that may accompany maltreatment.

A defining feature of this opportunity is that funded centers must include a Community Engagement Core. This core is not framed as optional outreach; it is a required component meant to connect the center's research and expertise with the people and systems that can use it. The FOA envisions community engagement that provides meaningful opportunities for students and faculty at all levels to access cutting-edge educational tools, technologies, and training tied to child maltreatment research and practice. Beyond the academic pipeline, the Community Engagement Core is expected to actively engage both scientific and lay professional communities through participatory activities such as technical assistance, dissemination and support for evidence-based practice, grand rounds, conferences, seminars, and webinars that draw directly on knowledge generated by the center's research activities. Importantly, the FOA allows flexibility in how these engagement activities are delivered, indicating they should be tailored to the center's strengths and the specific needs of its community and stakeholders.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary grant in the Health, Income Security and Social Services category (CFDA 93.865). The award ceiling listed is $1,200,000, with an expectation of making up to two awards, reflecting an intent to fund a small number of high-capacity centers rather than many smaller projects. Eligible applicants are broad and include various levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special districts), independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and other entities as allowed by the FOA's additional eligibility guidance. The FOA was created July 21, 2017, with an original closing date of November 27, 2017, indicating this specific announcement was time-bound, even though the CAPSTONE concept reflects an ongoing priority area in child maltreatment research.

Overall, this FOA is structured to build multidisciplinary centers that can simultaneously produce rigorous intervention and longitudinal evidence, advance neurobiological and translational understanding, improve screening and assessment tools for earlier detection and better treatment, and ensure that findings and expertise flow outward through a formal community engagement structure. The emphasis on being a "national resource" suggests that successful centers are expected not only to publish strong science, but also to shape standards, training, and practice in the wider child abuse and neglect ecosystem.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CAPSTONE Centers for Multidisciplinary Research in Child Abuse and Neglect (P50)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 21, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 27, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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