The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation will expand research for maternal health in Arkansas by establishing the Maternal and Reproductive Community Health Excellence (MaRCH) research center funded through National Institutes of Health’s Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE).
The MaRCH research center will focus on training and supporting new researchers who develop innovations in maternal and reproductive health in Arkansas. The grant, which amounts to about $11.7 million over five years, will support at least three new maternal and reproductive health researchers each year. This is one of the first COBRE grants in the United States focused on maternal health.
Additionally, as part of the project, the institute will bring together researchers and thought leaders from across the nation for a conference in spring 2026 on maternal and reproductive health.