Partnership for National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership | HRSA 25 028

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 25 028

The Partnership for National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership opportunity (HRSA-25-028) is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) cooperative agreement designed to strengthen the national MCH system by funding national organizations that can build the capacity of key MCH program networks. The overall aim is long-term improvement in maternal and child health outcomes across the country while reducing disparities, with an emphasis on better serving specific populations and the programs that support them. In practice, this means the funded recipients are expected to deliver leadership development, workforce development, peer learning, and coordinated technical support that helps state and local MCH leaders and practitioners adopt effective strategies, respond to emerging issues, and create durable systems-level improvements.

The program is organized around four focus areas: (1) State Title V MCH Programs, (2) Urban MCH Programs, (3) Healthy Start Programs, and (4) Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Programs. Across all focus areas, recipients have shared, long-range performance expectations that extend through the end of the period of performance in 2030. Each year, recipients are expected to actively participate in collaborative efforts associated with the broader Partnership for National MCH Leadership and with other MCHB-funded capacity-building partners. These collaborations are led by the Focus Area 1 recipient and can include joint working groups or committees, as well as co-developing shared resources, tools, and materials that multiple programs can use. By 2030, the initiative targets measurable learning and action outcomes: at least 50 percent of participants in learning opportunities should have taken concrete action that contributes to systems-level change, and at least 75 percent of participants should demonstrate increased knowledge of effective strategies and practices for addressing emerging issues in MCH.

Focus Area 1, which centers on State Title V programs, includes additional annual responsibilities tied to national coordination and leadership development for state MCH infrastructure. Recipients in this area must plan and conduct an in-person national convening every September, in collaboration with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). This convening brings together Title V Directors, key Title V staff, MCHB capacity-building providers, and other relevant stakeholders and partners to align priorities, share promising approaches, and strengthen the collective ability of Title V to deliver across population domains. In addition, the Focus Area 1 recipient must conduct at least one MCH leadership program each year for Title V Directors, Title V staff, and key stakeholders spanning all Title V population domains, and also operate an MCH epidemiology workforce pathway program aimed at current MCH epidemiology graduate students, training roughly 15 to 20 students annually to help build the future pipeline of applied epidemiology talent in MCH.

Focus Area 2 targets Urban MCH Programs and places a stronger emphasis on sustained, practice-oriented leadership development for professionals working in city or local settings where complex systems and inequities often intersect. Each year, the recipient must run at least one year-long MCH leadership program for urban or local MCH professionals, pairing leadership skills with real-world application to local governance, cross-sector partnerships, and population health improvement. This focus area also requires at least one MCH epidemiology workforce training course annually that is specifically designed for existing MCH epidemiology professionals, supporting their ability to use data for decision-making, monitor outcomes, and respond to emerging issues.

Focus Area 3 is oriented around Healthy Start Programs and is structured to ensure that program strategy and implementation are continuously informed by the experiences of those running Healthy Start projects. Each year, the recipient must facilitate discussions with Healthy Start Project Directors and obtain their input on program strategy, design, and tactics. The expectation is not just gathering feedback, but translating what is learned into shared information about what works best to meet key Healthy Start objectives, then distributing or communicating those insights in ways that other Healthy Start leaders and partners can use.

Focus Area 4 mirrors that engagement-and-learning model for MIECHV Programs. Annually, the recipient must facilitate discussions with MIECHV Project Directors and obtain their input on strategy, design, and tactics, with the goal of identifying and sharing the most effective approaches to achieving MIECHV program objectives. This is meant to support continuous improvement across home visiting systems by elevating implementation lessons, highlighting effective practices, and helping programs adapt to changing needs while keeping outcomes and equity at the center.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive to attract capable national or multi-jurisdictional organizations with the infrastructure to convene, train, and coordinate across the MCH landscape. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and units of government at the state, county, city/township, and special district levels. Tribal governments and tribal organizations are also eligible. Applicants must be domestic organizations, with "domestic" spanning the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and the freely associated states listed in the notice. Individuals are not eligible to apply under this funding opportunity.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement in the health funding activity category (CFDA 93.110) administered by HRSA. The expected number of awards is four, aligning with the four focus areas. The original closing date listed for applications is January 3, 2025. The notice lists an award ceiling of 0, which typically signals that the ceiling is either not specified in the summary record or is defined elsewhere in the full notice; applicants would need to rely on the full NOFO for detailed budget guidance, funding levels by focus area, and other submission requirements.

• The Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnership for National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.110.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 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), 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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for HRSA 25 028

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