MCH Adolescent and Young Adult Health Research Network

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The purpose of this cooperative agreement opportunity is to support the creation of a transdisciplinary, multisite research network  that will accelerate the translation of developmental science into MCH practice, promote scientific collaboration, and develop additional research capacity in the field of adolescent health.  The Network must include researchers who study adolescence and young adulthood from a range of disciplines, including developmental neuroscience, behavioral and social sciences, and the medical and/or allied health fields, reflecting attention to the health and development of the whole person.  The Network will have the following goals: Develop a national research agenda that strives to: Accelerate the translation into practice of new and emerging research findings from developmental neuroscience and other relevant fields, such as the science of puberty, prevention, and mental health; Encourage the translation of research into a variety of practice and service settings, such as primary and mental health care providers, public health and other health officials, school health clinics and programs, and other key stakeholders concerned with the health and optimal development of adolescents and young adults; Improve access to and quality of adolescent preventive health, including well-visits and the integration of behavioral health into primary care settings; Promote health across one of life¿s major developmental transitions, beginning with the preadolescent years and continuing into young adulthood; Address a variety of adolescent populations in the U.S., including medically underserved populations. Promote multisite, transdisciplinary scientific collaboration that will: Encourage innovative research, including the development of early adolescent developmental screening instruments that can be used to predict late adolescent and early adult outcomes; Develop and recruit a network of practices that can implement research studies; Disseminate information on its activities and findings in order to inform researchers, practitioners, policy makers, the public, and other stakeholders, including young people and their families; Leverage network capacity to compete for grant opportunities from other Federal and private sources. Develop additional research capacity in the field of adolescent health by fostering research and mentorship opportunities for new investigators through active communication, networking, and collaboration. Forty percent (40%) of the Network¿s efforts should be focused on addressing the translation of neurodevelopmental science into MCH practice.  The research agenda will be created in collaboration with MCHB. The Network will use the national research agenda that it creates in collaboration with MCHB to: Advance the methods of studying the implementation and effectiveness of interventions that promote optimal health in adolescence, including the development of early adolescent screening instruments; Actively guide the Network¿s implementation of priority innovative research studies through both MCHB and other Federal and private funding sources; Contribute to the development of models of integrated care across traditionally disparate systems, including primary and behavioral health care; and Develop approaches to data sharing that will expedite the translation of research results into knowledge, products, and procedures. HRSA, as the home of the Federal office of rural health policy, is interested in analyses of rural-urban differences, where data allow.  The Maternal and Child Health Bureau¿s intent is to ensure that research activities are responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of special populations, that services are family-centered and accessible to consumers, and that the broadest possible representation of culturally distinct and historically underrepresented groups is supported through programs and projects sponsored by the MCHB.

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