Discovery Research Grants

The March of Dimes Discovery Research Grants program represents the organization’s highest tier of funding for established scientists working in maternal and infant health. March of Dimes is a nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of mothers and babies by addressing preventable maternal mortality, preterm birth, and health inequities. Through its research portfolio, the organization supports translational science that bridges laboratory findings with clinical care improvements. This grant mechanism is specifically designed to fund experienced investigators with a strong publication history who are positioned to make impactful, practice-changing discoveries. The primary purpose of the Discovery Grants program is to support research that can significantly improve pregnancy and birth outcomes. Funded projects must focus on one of two priority areas: spontaneous preterm birth or cardiovascular health conditions that develop during or are exacerbated by pregnancy. The program emphasizes studies that advance prevention, diagnosis, or treatment and that have a clear pathway to improving clinical care. Research may include human subjects, human tissue studies, or population-level analyses, and may incorporate information and communications technology innovations. While model systems research is allowed, it is discouraged unless used to validate findings relevant to human disease. Funding is provided as a total of 200,000 dollars distributed over a two-year performance period, inclusive of indirect costs capped at 10 percent. The award period begins on February 1, 2027 and ends on January 31, 2029. Funds are intended to support research expenses directly tied to the proposed study, including personnel, materials, and related costs necessary to achieve project objectives. There is no stated matching requirement for this program. Awardees are also expected to engage with March of Dimes through collaborative activities, attendance at meetings, and participation in outreach efforts that promote research impact and future funding. Eligibility for the program is broad but targeted toward highly qualified researchers. Applicants must hold doctoral-level degrees and have a faculty appointment or equivalent position at an academic institution, hospital, research institution, nonprofit organization, small business, startup company, or pharmaceutical company engaged in maternal and infant health research. The program is open to both U.S. and international applicants, and there are no citizenship restrictions. However, applicants may not hold another active March of Dimes grant at the time of application submission. Only one application may be submitted per applicant, either as a Primary Investigator or Co-Primary Investigator. The application process is conducted entirely online through the March of Dimes research grants portal. Required components include a project title and abstract, statement of objectives and hypothesis, preliminary data, detailed research approach, budget and justification, biographical sketch, description of available facilities, and disclosure of current and pending funding. Applicants must also outline expected deliverables and demonstrate the feasibility and potential impact of their proposed work. The review process evaluates scientific merit, relevance to priority topics, and the likelihood of improving maternal and infant health outcomes. The current application cycle opened on June 8, 2026 and will close on September 8, 2026. Award notifications are expected in mid-January 2027. The program appears to operate on a recurring cycle, though specific annual confirmation is not explicitly stated. Applicants are encouraged to direct questions to the program’s support email and may request exceptions for timing issues such as parental leave. Overall, the Discovery Grants program aims to fund transformative research with measurable clinical impact while fostering collaboration and ongoing engagement with the March of Dimes research community.

Focus on translational impact and clear clinical relevance; align strongly with priority topic areas; demonstrate feasibility with preliminary data; emphasize measurable improvements to maternal and infant outcomes