The National Children's Study is moving forward and stepping up preparations to recruit eligible women and their families.
"We are delighted about this next step in the Study's progress," said National Children's Study Director Peter Scheidt, M.D., M.P.H. "We can now begin the true work of the Study, working with families and communities to uncover the root causes of what makes children sick and what keeps them healthy. This is a giant step forward for our children," he said.
As a first step in the Study’s expansion, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health will post a Request for Proposals (RFP) in the coming weeks to award contracts to 15 to 20 new Study Centers. These Centers will manage operations in up to 30 additional Study locations. In total, the Study has designated 105 locations across the United States where it will recruit and enroll eligible participants, and track them from before birth until their 21st birthdays.
The increased pace of Study preparations is possible because of a recent Congressional appropriation of funds for fiscal year 2007.
Over the next year, preparation will step up for recruitment of participants in the first Study Centers (called Vanguard Centers). Since September 2005, the Vanguard Centers have been preparing to implement the Study in their respective locations.