# Training Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2024 · $1,156,022

## Abstract

Training Core Abstract
Rising rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among those who face persistent disparities,
not only demand new approaches to transdisciplinary research, but these inequities mandate the training of a
new research, clinical, and public health workforce who can address these challenges. This workforce must
have a knowledge base that is steeped in the structural, environmental, behavioral, and biological factors that
affect women’s maternal health, including pregnancy-related/associated mortality and severe maternal
morbidity. In addition, the maternal health workforce must include those who represent communities typically
underrepresented in the research, clinical care delivery, and public health. Commitment to the rigorous training
and exposure of this workforce to a wide variety of diverse and transdisciplinary concepts, methods, and
approaches to etiologic and intervention research is paramount. As such, the University of Illinois at Chicago
(UIC) Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence proposes the development of a Training Program to
build the research capacity of early stage investigators (ESIs), junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, research
assistants (RAs), as well as clinical partners from community agencies who together will have a diverse set of
skills and experiences to enable them to bring fresh insights, ask novel questions, and discover innovative
approaches to reducing inequities in maternal health outcomes.
A. Specific Aims
1. To increase the diversity of the maternal health research pipeline by recruiting and supporting the
 academic career development of racially and ethnically diverse postdoctoral and junior faculty fellows from
 a variety of clinical and public health backgrounds.
2. To develop and successfully implement a robust training program for early stage investigators, including
 junior clinical and public health faculty and post-doctoral fellows, to enable them to address a variety of
 research questions related to reducing maternal health inequities using innovative quantitative and
 qualitative research methods and strategies.
3. To provide community-based clinical partners with a robust research training experience that will enable
 them to successfully undertake or partner with investigators to conduct maternal health research.
4. To provide a strong research and journey mentoring program to early stage investigators to enable them to
 effectively address maternal health issues including reducing inequities in maternal health outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10748098
- **Project number:** 1U54HD113087-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Arden S Handler
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,156,022
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-26 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10748098

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10748098, Training Core (1U54HD113087-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10748098. Licensed CC0.

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