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HHS Hypertension Innovator Award Competition

HHS Hypertension Innovator Award Competition

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office on Women's Health (OWH) is seeking innovative ways to ensure women with hypertension during pregnancy and/or postpartum receive appropriate monitoring and follow-up through the HHS Hypertension Innovator Award Competition: Innovative Methods of Blood Pressure Monitoring and Follow-up in Women during Pregnancy and/or Postpartum.

Background/Issue

The HHS Office on Women's Health (OWH) is charged with providing expert advice and consultation to the Secretary on scientific, legal, ethical, and policy issues, and serving as a coordination point throughout HHS on issues affecting the health of women and girls. OWH establishes short and long-term goals within the Department for research, disease prevention and health promotion, service delivery, and education for public health and health care professionals surrounding women and girls' health. OWH identifies needs and monitors activities within the Department that contribute to women and girls' health and through leadership of the Coordinating Committee on Women's Health. Additionally, OWH is responsible for facilitating the exchange of information through the National Women's Health Information Center and promoting women and girls' health programs and policies, all aimed at improving the health of women and girls.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Hypertension affects one in every twelve to seventeen pregnancies in the United States. Women with hypertension are at risk for developing preeclampsia, stroke, and other serious complications in pregnancy and/or postpartum. Factors which increase the risk of hypertension during pregnancy include obesity and maternal age. Factors which limit women's ability to manage their blood pressure include cost, transportation, schedules, locality (living in rural or underserved areas), and lack of education about the importance of good blood pressure control.

Innovative programs can overcome these challenges to increase the number of Americans with good blood pressure control and improve the nation's health. Some progress has been made with home blood pressure monitoring, text-based communications with health care teams, revised prenatal and postpartum visit schedules, new models of patient education and empowerment, and partnerships with different members of the health care team and community.

Purpose

OWH is creating a national competition to identify effective, pre-existing programs that care for women with hypertension who are pregnant and/or postpartum. The goal of this innovative competition is to demonstrate sustainability and the ability to replicate and/or expand a program that provides effective monitoring and follow-up of hypertension for women who are pregnant and/or postpartum.

Subject and Scope of Prize Competition

This program will include attention to disparities, including racial/ethnic and/or urban/rural. The program must demonstrate evidence-based approaches to screening and treating hypertensive disorders and will be shared with the general public.

The competition has three phases. All eligible submissions will be evaluated, and separate prizes may be awarded for each of the three phases.

Deadlines

Phase 1: Identification of successful programs

  • Open September 30, 2020 through January 6, 2021.
  • Webinar: October 20, 2020, 3:00-4:00 pm EST
  • Webinar: October 30, 2020, 3:00-4:00 pm ET.
  • Webinar: November 6, 2020, 3:00-4:00 pm ET.
  • Webinar: December 7, 2020: 1:00-2:00 pm ET.
  • Webinar: December 16, 2020: 2:00-3:00 pk ET.
  • Phase 1 submissions are due by January 6, 2021, 11:59 pm EST.
  • Judging for Phase 1 will occur from January 7 through January 14, 2021.
  • Finalists that move into Phase 2 will be awarded by January 15, 2021.

Phase 2: Awarding plans for sustainability and replication and/or expansion

  • Competition occurs September 29, 2021 through October 30, 2021.
  • Phase 2 submissions are due by October 30, 2021, 11:59 pm EST.
  • Judging for Phase 2 will occur from October 31, 2021 through November 20, 2021.
  • Finalists that move into Phase 3 will be awarded by November 21, 2021.

Phase 3: Awarding the programs that have successfully replicated and/or expanded

  • Competition occurs September 29, 2022 through October 30, 2022.
  • Phase 3 submissions are due by October 30, 2022, 11:59 pm EST.
  • Judging for Phase 3 will occur from October 31, 2022 through November 20, 2022.
  • Finalists will be awarded by November 21, 2022.

Prizes

Total Prize Awards Available

$3,325,000 in FY20 funds.

Prize Breakdown

  • Phase 1 FY20 (Identification of successful programs): Up to 20 submissions may be selected to each receive a prize of up to $50,000.
  • Phase 2 FY21 (Awarding plans for sustainability and replication and/or expansion): The participants selected to receive a prize for Phase 1 may compete for consideration to receive a prize in Phase 2. Up to 15 submissions may be selected to each receive a prize of up to $75,000.
  • Phase 3 FY22 (Awarding programs that have successfully replicated and/or expanded): The participants selected to receive a prize in Phase 2 may compete for consideration to receive a prize in Phase 3. Up to 12 submissions may be selected to each receive a prize of up to $100,000.
  • All winners will be notified via email.

Awardees will be expected to present their program for Office on Women's Health staff and members of the public at the end of each award phase. This presentation may be virtual or in-person and prize funds are expected to be used to facilitate this presentation.

How to Submit a Proposal

To view the Challenge submission requirements, judging criteria, competition rules, and to submit a proposal, visit https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/hhs-hypertension-innovator-award-competition/

Questions?

If you have questions or want to learn more, please email HypertensionChallenge@hhs.gov.