MCH Research Network on Promoting Healthy Weight among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Developmental Disabilities | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the MCH Research Network on Promoting Healthy Weight among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Developmental Disabilities (HW-RN)?

HW-RN is a federally supported national research network funded through a cooperative agreement from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The network is intended to create and sustain an interdisciplinary, multi-site collaboration focused on preventing and treating overweight and obesity among children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD).

2. What is the primary purpose of this funding opportunity?

The purpose is to build and maintain national research infrastructure that strengthens the evidence base on (1) what drives obesity risk in children and adolescents with ASD/DD, (2) which prevention and treatment interventions work, and (3) how health systems can deliver effective, team-based and interdisciplinary care to support healthy weight in this population.

3. Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

This is an HHS opportunity administered by HRSA, specifically through HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).

4. What is the funding mechanism (grant type) for this program?

The instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which generally means HRSA/MCHB expects to be actively involved in the project by shaping, supporting, and monitoring progress, rather than operating as a hands-off funder.

5. What does HRSA's "active involvement" mean in a cooperative agreement?

Based on the description provided, HRSA/MCHB anticipates ongoing engagement with the awardee, including regular communication with network members and coordination with the HRSA/MCHB Project Officer. The relationship is described as collaborative and more involved than a typical discretionary grant.

6. What population is the network focused on?

The network focuses on children and youth with ASD and other developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on preventing and treating overweight and obesity and understanding associated health risks and outcomes.

7. Is the research scope narrow or broad?

The scope is broad in terms of methods and topics (risk factors, prevalence, interventions, delivery models, secondary data analysis), but it is tightly centered on healthy weight promotion and obesity prevention/treatment among children and youth with ASD/DD.

8. What is meant by a "national, interdisciplinary, multi-site research network" in this opportunity?

The opportunity is structured around building a collaborative forum across multiple institutions and disciplines. The funded entity is expected to coordinate scientific work across sites and bring together research entities and partners to develop a shared research agenda and conduct multi-site studies.

9. What types of research activities are expected?

The network is expected to be capable of conducting multi-site intervention studies, running pilot/feasibility/acceptability testing, completing secondary analyses of existing large datasets (including population-based datasets and health records), and performing formative research to understand barriers and facilitators to healthy weight in ASD/DD.

10. Does the announcement require work on obesity prevalence and risk factors in ASD/DD?

Yes. A major emphasis is building a clearer picture of how common overweight and obesity are in ASD/DD populations and identifying major contributing risk factors, including biological, behavioral, medical, social, and environmental influences.

11. What kinds of obesity-related outcomes or conditions does the network need to examine?

The network is expected to improve understanding of obesity-related chronic or secondary health conditions that are most closely linked with excess weight among children and youth with ASD/DD.

12. Are secondary data analyses required?

Yes. The posting calls for at least two secondary data analyses using existing large datasets or health records to improve understanding of prevalence, risk factors, and obesity-related health outcomes.

13. What is "formative work" in the context of this program?

Formative work refers to research activities designed to understand barriers and facilitators to achieving a healthy weight in ASD/DD. The opportunity notes approaches such as surveys, literature reviews, and other methods that capture biopsychosocial influences.

14. What barriers and facilitators does the opportunity specifically mention?

The description highlights factors such as sensory and feeding challenges, physical activity barriers, medication effects, family routines, school and community environments, and broader social determinants of health.

15. Are the lived experiences of children and families expected to be included?

Yes. The formative work is framed to include the perspectives and lived experiences of children and youth with ASD/DD and their families, not only clinical or academic viewpoints.

16. What intervention work is expected under this program?

The network is expected to identify effective approaches and test the early-stage efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of two to three intervention programs aimed at reducing excessive weight among children and youth with ASD/DD.

17. Does the opportunity encourage adapting existing interventions?

Yes. It encourages adapting interventions that have worked in the general pediatric population (or specific subgroups) and tailoring them to be practical and effective for children and youth with ASD/DD.

18. Are interventions expected to be practical and implementable?

Yes. The language signals a preference for pragmatic programs that can be integrated into real-world settings like clinics, schools, and communities rather than purely theoretical models.

19. Does the network need to improve health care delivery models?

Yes. The opportunity includes improving how health systems deliver care for children and adolescents with ASD/DD, including team-based and interdisciplinary models.

20. What dissemination responsibilities are included?

The awardee is expected to maintain a network website, publish results (at least two peer-reviewed publications per study), deliver two to three webinars, hold annual network meetings, and conduct outreach to audiences such as researchers, clinicians, policymakers, educators, and families.

21. Is a network website required?

Yes. The awardee must maintain a network website to share findings, expand membership, and generate broader interest.

22. Are guidelines for practitioners and families required?

Yes. The network must develop and disseminate guidelines for practitioners and families on obesity prevention and treatment for ASD/DD, based on research completed through the network, and make those guidelines available through the website.

23. How many webinars are expected?

The dissemination expectations include delivering two to three webinars.

24. Are annual meetings part of the requirements?

Yes. The network is expected to hold annual network meetings.

25. Is the program focused on equity and underserved populations?

Yes. Research and related activities are expected to explicitly consider underserved populations, including low-income communities, racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, people with limited access to services, and other historically underserved groups.

26. Are there expectations for cultural and linguistic responsiveness?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes that research and resulting guidance should be culturally and linguistically responsive, accessible to consumers, and representative of culturally distinct and historically underrepresented groups.

27. Is family-centeredness emphasized?

Yes. The overall framing highlights family-centeredness, including incorporating lived experience and making outputs accessible and useful to families.

28. Does the opportunity include translational research and systems-level impact?

Yes. The network is expected to translate findings into practice and to look for ways to include children and adolescents with ASD/DD in statewide or national surveillance and health promotion efforts.

29. What are "expansion efforts" in this announcement?

Expansion efforts refer to leveraging outside funding to sustain and broaden the research agenda over time, beyond the core support from MCHB.

30. Is collaboration with other Autism CARES networks expected?

Yes. The network is expected to collaborate with other MCHB autism research networks funded under the Autism CARES Act of 2014, including the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P).

31. How many awards are expected under this opportunity?

The posting lists expected awards: 1.

32. What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is HRSA-16-044.

33. What is the CFDA number listed for this program?

The listing includes CFDA 93.110.

34. When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted December 18, 2015, and the original/current closing date shown is February 16, 2016.

35. What is the listed award ceiling?

The listing shows an award ceiling of 0. This typically indicates the ceiling was not specified in that summary field and applicants should refer to the full funding announcement for budget guidance.

36. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are listed as "Others," with eligibility clarified in the full announcement. The summary provided does not specify which entities fall under that category.

37. What is the central deliverable of the network beyond individual studies?

The central deliverable is the creation and sustainability of a coordinated national research infrastructure (a collaborative forum) that can set and update a shared research agenda, conduct multi-site work, produce guidance for practice and families, and support broader dissemination and uptake.

38. Does the network need to maintain regular communication with HRSA?

Yes. The network is expected to maintain regular communication among network members and with the HRSA/MCHB Project Officer.

39. What kinds of datasets are contemplated for secondary analysis?

The announcement references existing large datasets, including population-based datasets and health records.

40. Is the network expected to advance at least one major research study?

Yes. The network is expected to build capacity to advance at least one major research study addressing identified gaps, drawing on MCHB support and leveraging additional funding sources when possible.