HeroX Crowdsources to Find Solutions to Support At-Risk Pregnant Women

NIH Challenge Encourages Nonprofits to Participate in Research Projects Related to Maternal Health; Prize Purse of $3 Million

BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sept. 1, 2022 -- HeroX, the leading platform and open marketplace for crowdsourced solutions, today launched the crowdsourcing competition "Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Challenge" on behalf of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Challenge is part of the Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative, a research program led by NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve the health for pregnant women before, during, and after delivery.

An average of 700 people die each year of pregnancy-related causes in the United States, and the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in these maternal deaths are stark. Community engagement and greater participation in related studies are critical to addressing the disproportionate impact on African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latina women.

The specific goal of this Challenge is to help community-based 501(c)3 organizations develop the capacity to pursue maternal health research in areas that directly impact the communities they serve. Any advocacy, local community, faith-based, or other similar group is eligible and will receive assistance with writing research proposals and with building the infrastructure required for research.

"Protecting maternal health requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, so we're excited to get nonprofits on board," said Kal, CEO, HeroX. "This Challenge will empower community-oriented organizations to serve vulnerable groups in another meaningful way: by supporting research that will bring underrepresented women into the conversation, we can better meet their needs and more effectively support their health."

The Challenge: This challenge offers participating groups the opportunity to learn how to respond to funding opportunities and how to develop and sustain research capabilities. 

The Prize: There is a total prize purse of $3,038,000, and winning organizations will also receive non-monetary incentives like accelerator or incubator-type support.

Eligibility to Compete and Win Prize(s): This challenge is open to all US 501(c)3 organizations that are not institutions of higher learning. Examples of eligible organizations include advocacy, local community, faith-based, and other similar groups.

To accept the challenge, visit www.herox.com/CommunityMaternalHealth.

And, to see the NIH's press release, visit www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/news/090122-maternal-health-research.

HeroX is a platform and open marketplace for crowdsourcing innovation and human ingenuity, co-founded in 2013 by serial entrepreneur, Christian Cotichini and XPRIZE Founder and Futurist, Peter Diamandis. HeroX offers a turnkey, easy-to-use platform that supports anyone, anywhere, to solve everyday business and world challenges using the power of the crowd. Uniquely positioned as the Social Network for Innovation, HeroX is the only place you can build, grow and curate your very own crowd.

Explore the latest challenges at www.herox.com

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SOURCE HeroX