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New 2008 Collaborative Research Award (CRA) Opportunities

September 2, 2008

2008 Collaborative Research Award (CRA) Opportunities

2008 CRA Process Timeline

Date Action
On or about Sep 2, 2008 AUCD announces 2008 NCBDDD CRA to AUCD Network
October 24, 2008
Online applications submitted to AUCD National Office by 5:00 pm (EST)
On or about November 17, 2008 AUCD notifies applicants of review and funding results
December 1, 2008
 Project begins


CRA 2008-01: Promotion of Health Self-Management for Young Adults with Disabilities

Project Description: Children with disabilities face challenges in managing their health care as they become older. At young ages, it is normal and expected for parents to take the lead in managing health issues. Developmentally and cognitively, children can begin to assume self-management of their health at school age. By adolescence, children with disabilities should be assuming more and more of their care: taking medications, monitoring for side effects, secondary conditions or complications, scheduling health care appointments, leading discussion with health care providers, explaining their health condition to peers. This is all preparation for assuming full responsibility for health care by the time they reach adulthood.

The Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD) at NCBDDD has projects involving children with spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, Fragile X, hearing loss, ADHD, and Tourette syndrome. Children in all these groups are candidates for learning health self-management skills.

The proposed Collaborative Research Award project would involve the following:

  • Conduct an extensive literature review on current approaches, strategies, and issues in health self-management for children with disabilities, with special attention to the specific conditions listed above.
  • Develop position paper based upon the literature review in collaboration and mentorship with DHDD scientific and program staff.
  • Present and disseminate findings at national and regional forums

Project Duration: One (1) year and commence December 2008.

Funding Level: One (1) CRA project funded at $30,000.


CRA 2008-02:Using Positive Parenting to Teach Child Development

Project Description: Positive parenting is fundamental to child development. When parents are engaged with their children, playing with and guiding them as they grow they are more likely to promote social and physical environments that support the health, safety and development of their children. The parents are also better able to identify developmental milestones and early warning signs of developmental delay.

The CDC's Child Development Studies team has developed fact sheets/webpages to help parents understand child development and learn about activities that stimulate development. The CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. Campaign, which increases the awareness of parents about child development, early warning signs of developmental delay, and how to act early to help a child with delays reach his/her full potential, has fact sheets/web pages about developmental milestones and early warning signs of delay. These two programs at CDC are collaborating to combine resources to teach parents about child development and early warning signs through positive parenting techniques and developmental activities.

The proposed Collaborative Research Award Project would involve the following:

  • Participate in ongoing communication with NCBDDD mentors throughout process.
  • Review current Positive Parenting fact sheets and Learn the Signs. Act Early. fact sheets.
  • Create content for combined fact sheets and webpages and work with NCBDDD communication specialists on design/layout.
  • Conduct structured interviews and/or focus groups with parents and early childhood experts to test drafted sheets and webpages and evaluate for increase in parental knowledge.
  • Comply with internal human subjects processes for all interview protocol. Work with NCBDDD mentors to comply with CDC clearance processes.
  • Write a final report about findings structured interviews and focus groups including recommendations for strategies to help parents understand child development through learning positive parenting and developmental activities.
  • Disseminate and present findings at regional and/or national venues.

Project Duration: One (1) year and commence December 2008.

Funding Level: One (1) CRA project funded at $18,000.


CRA 2008-03: Involving Allied Health Care Professionals in Helping Parents to Navigate Systems for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Project Description:Children identified with a developmental delay are referred to Part C early intervention agencies. Sometimes the reason for referral is only the identification of the first symptom of a more complex condition and over time a more clear diagnosis can be ascertained. Allied health professionals such as but not limited to speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists serving children with delays through the Part C early intervention system serve as a resource for families. They can also be a catalyst in helping parents navigate systems to arrive at a more definitive diagnosis.

The CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. Campaign increases the awareness of parents about child development, early warning signs of developmental delay, and how to act early to help a child with delays reach his/her full potential. Allied Health professionals are in a unique position to aid parents in acting early, because they are an integral part of the service delivery system.

The proposed Collaborative Research Award Project would involve the following:

  • Participate in ongoing communication with NCBDDD mentor throughout process.
  • Conduct a literature review about the role of allied health professionals in guiding parents to a diagnosis.
  • Conduct literature review about communication methods to reach allied health professionals.
  • Develop a research proposal to interview key experts to understand the best way to increase a therapist's role in helping parents to "Act Early" including allied health professionals in Part C programs and parents.
  • Comply with internal human subjects processes for all interview protocol.
  • Write a report about findings from literature review and structured interviews.
  • Submit article to peer-reviewed journal.
  • Develop recommendations for strategies to outreach to allied health professionals that would aid them in helping parents to "Act Early."
  • Disseminate and present findings at regional and/or national venues

Project Duration: One (1) year and commence December 2008

Funding Level: One (1) CRA project funded at $18,000.

(Please note: Total CRA project funds include 16% indirect cost allowable for member programs and a 4% administrative cost to AUCD for administering and monitoring the sub-award.)


Learn more about the CRA process and eligibility. Submit your application ONLINE.