# NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Networks

> **NIH NIH UG1** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2021 · $262,091

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) Division of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) submits this
application for limited competition renewal to continue to participate as a clinical center of the Eunice Kennedy
Shriver NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network in order to complete ongoing trials. We present
our center’s attributes and record of exceptional performance within the MFMU Network, as well as a subsite at
Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in Louisiana. We remain committed to the Network’s goals of investigating major
problems in clinical obstetrics, particularly those related to low birth weight, prematurity, obstetric and medical
complications of pregnancy. The renowned research infrastructure within our Center for Women’s Reproductive
Health (CWRH) is a centerpiece of this application and has extensive experience in successfully leading large
clinical trials and observational studies both within and outside the MFMU Network. As a Network center over the
last six 5-year cycles, UAB has consistently played a leadership role in providing research direction for the
Network at the Steering Committee and sub-committee levels, conducted Network trials with the highest
efficiency of any center, and participated significantly in the presentation and publication of data generated.
Among 32 clinical centers in the history of the MFMU, a UAB investigator has first-authored >17% of Network
publications and >17% of presentations at national meetings. Current members of our investigative team have
accumulated over 300 person-years’ experience of active participation in support of MFMU projects; our research
staff similarly cumulate over 300 MFMU person-years. Alan Tita, MD, PhD and Brian Casey, MD will continue to
serve as PI and Alternate PI, respectively. The investigative team includes 2 previous MFMU PI’s and 6
members who have served or currently serve as Network protocol chairpersons or Subcommittee members.
Finally, on the basis of patient recruitment, protocol adherence, retention, follow-up, data quality, and study start-
up time, the MFMU Network Data Coordinating Center historically ranked our center #1 or #2 among the
participating centers 71% (10/14) of the time between 2003 and 2015 (#1 overall, 53% of the time). We continue
to be the most efficient site: adjusted for the available population, we enroll the highest number of participants in
most network studies. Our enriched high-risk population, strong research culture and 24/7 coverage and the high
proportion of screen-eligible patients successfully enrolled into network studies will allow us to continue this high
level of performance. If successful in this limited renewal, we will continue to deploy our facilities, data
management systems (including our electronic perinatal record system), recruitment resources, reinforced
investigative team and highly experienced personnel toward fully implementing and completing ongoing MFMU
Network protocol...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10253395
- **Project number:** 2UG1HD027869-32
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** ALAN THEVENET N. TITA
- **Activity code:** UG1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $262,091
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10253395

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10253395, NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Networks (2UG1HD027869-32). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10253395. Licensed CC0.

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