In recognition of the shared history and values of Childbirth Connection (formerly known as Maternity Center Association), the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and the A.C.N.M. Foundation, Childbirth Connection has established a grant to be given annually by the A.C.N.M. Foundation. The Hazel Corbin/Childbirth Connection Grant for Evidence-Based Midwifery Care honors the contribution of honorary ACNM member, Hazel Corbin, RN, the long-time general director of the Maternity Center Association (MCA). The award is designed to support or augment projects that advance understanding of the safety and/or effectiveness of midwifery practices for mothers and newborns. Professionals from a wide range of fields and settings are eligible to apply; applicants need not be midwives. All applicants must adhere to the clearly described guidelines available as part of the application process.
Background:
The Hazel Corbin/Childbirth Connection Grant for Evidence-Based Midwifery Care honors the contributions of Hazel Corbin, a nursing leader who specialized in maternal and child health. Ms. Corbin served as General Director of Maternity Center Association (now Childbirth Connection) for 42 years. She was appointed to the position in 1923 after serving on the staff since 1918, the year MCA was organized. Under her leadership, MCA fostered the establishment and expansion of nurse-midwifery education, fostered the establishment of the American College of Nurse-Midwifery (now ACNM) and housed its offices, and supported the growth of the profession in numerous ways. Ms. Corbin was among the first group of individuals elected to honorary membership in the American College of Nurse-Midwifery, in 1957. She was also the A.C.N.M. Foundation’s first President, in 1967.
Rationale/Criteria:
The purpose of the Grant is to further understanding of the safety and/or effectiveness of midwifery practices for mothers and newborns. Although results of outcome studies of midwifery care have been consistently favorable, achieving good outcomes is not necessarily synonymous with providing evidence-based care. As in all areas of health care, the safety and effectiveness of some midwifery practices have not been adequately evaluated. Improved understanding of effects of midwifery practices will contribute to the quality of midwifery care, will provide useful knowledge for other providers of maternity services, and will enhance the ability of midwives to demonstrate the value of their services to pregnant women, administrators, policy makers and others.
Applicants may meet the objective of this Grant through many different types of projects. Potential projects that meet these objectives include, but are not limited to, work toward:
identifying research priorities for building the evidence base for midwifery care
developing and/or evaluating a maternity care performance measure of appropriate care for healthy childbearing women and/or newborns, such as adaptation of the U.K. "Normal Birth" measure
preparing or updating a systematic review about effects of a midwifery practice
developing and offering a systematic review training course to midwifery researchers
carrying out a pilot study that is expected to yield data to support application for a major research grant to evaluate effects of a midwifery practice, including awards available for comparative effectiveness research
promoting among midwives care that is consistent with the best available research
developing and making accessible resources to help midwifery clients make decisions that are informed by the best available research.
When feasible and appropriate, applicants are expected to carry out work that reflects highest international standards for evidence-based practice. For example, systematic reviews of best available primary studies yield more definitive information than conventional "narrative" reviews. The Sicily Statement on Evidence-Based Practice is a thoughtful discussion about the role of evidence-based practice in the health professions. An instructive table comparing this paradigm with previous health care conventions is also available. Applicants are urged to become familiar with a new report, Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve, which presents a rationale and framework for applying the evidence-based paradigm to maternity care (see http://www.childbirthconnection.org/ebmc/).
The mission of Childbirth Connection is to improve the quality of maternity care through research, education, advocacy and policy (For more information about Childbirth Connection, see http://www.childbirthconnection.org). The proposed project should be compatible with ACNM’s current strategic priorities as well as the mission of the A.C.N.M. Foundation, Inc., which is to promote excellence in health care for women, infants and families worldwide through the support of midwifery. Work carried out under this Grant must be applicable to midwifery in the United States, but need not be limited to this context.
Eligibility:
Professionals who are involved with furthering understanding of the safety and/or effectiveness of midwifery practices for mothers and newborns are invited to submit applications. Professionals from midwifery or any other field that may contribute to this objective (for example, nursing, public health, social science) are welcome to apply. Applicants may be affiliated with an academic institution, an advocacy group, a clinical entity, a professional organization (including ACNM), a public agency, a research or consulting organization, or other group that may be concerned with evidence-based midwifery care. Applicants may be based in the United States or in another country. Grantees will be eligible to reapply in subsequent years for support for work that is either related or unrelated to work already carried out through this Grant.
Review criteria:
The application form will clearly describe information needed to address the review criteria, which will include assessment of the project relevance, excellence and impact.
Award Status:
Applications now being accepted
Award Amount:
Not to exceed $4,500.00
Deadline:
Completed Applications, including attachments, must be received by October 1, 2009. Electronic and faxed submissions will not be accepted.
