R40 MCH Autism Secondary Data Analysis Studies (SDAS) Program

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The R40 MCH Autism SDAS Program supports secondary data analyses to advance the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions and to advance best practices for the screening and diagnosis of ASD and other developmental disabilities at an earlier age.  Consistent with HRSA¿s mission as the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services to underserved populations and improving health equity, applicants are encouraged to propose research studies that address the unique and unaddressed needs of underserved populations, including low-income, racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants, and individuals for whom there is limited evidence of the effectiveness of interventions or for whom disparities in identification of ASD exist with limited understanding of the reasons for these disparities and evidence-based ways to close these gaps.  Proposals that address the unique barriers to identification and diagnosis and receipt of early interventions for underserved populations, issues pertaining to the financing/reimbursement of services, and the impact of coverage changes on services for children and adolescents with ASD and other developmental disabilities are also encouraged.  HRSA, as the home of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, is interested in analyses of rural-urban differences, where data allow. Given existing investments, studies in the areas of autism prevalence, factors associated with prevalence, or autism and medical home will not be considered for funding under this R40 MCH Autism SDAS competition. Innovative secondary use of existing data from national datasets, administrative records and other publicly available datasets  from a variety of sources (e.g., National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), Medicaid, Mental Health Research Network) is encouraged.

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