Technical Assistance for State
and Local MCH Agencies

Purpose

State and local MCH agencies have a wealth of information that remains largely unacknowledged because of the time that it takes to publish these findings in the scientific literature. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) recognizes the value of the results from program evaluations, findings from pilot programs, and analyses of State- and local-level data, and understands that State and Local agencies need additional resources to be able to develop articles for publication.

To achieve this goal, the MCHB, in conjunction with CDC, is offering technical assistance and support in the development of publishable articles on timely MCH topics by State and local MCH programs and agencies. This assistance will be provided by the MCHB’s Maternal and Child Health Information Resource Center (MCHIRC) at no cost to the agencies. The MCHIRC’s highly qualified staff and consultants will help turn State and local MCH research and evaluation findings into articles for peer-reviewed journals. Services are offered for all phases of article development, submission, and publication.

Services Provided

• Guidance in determining research questions that can be answered with data sources and appropriate topic selection when a variety of possibilities for an article exist.
• Development of background information, including literature reviews.
• Assistance in outlining the article, designing tables, and presenting the methods, findings, and discussion in a standard article format.
• Consultation on selecting appropriate journal for article submission, and formatting article to the journal’s specifications.
• Help with responding to comments from reviewers.

Applying for Technical Assistance

Send a synopsis of your proposed article (no more than two pages) to the MCHIRC. The proposal will be evaluated on subject matter, quality of study, type of analyses, and its prospects for publication.

To apply or get more information contact Renee Schwalberg at (207)-772-1410 or renee.schwalberg@altarum.org.