RAPID ACCELERATION OF DIAGNOSTICS TECHNOLOGY (RADx® Tech) FOR MATERNAL HEALTH CHALLENGE

Investigators

Abstract

The Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Technology (RADx® Tech) for Maternal Health Challenge will award up to $8 million in prizes to accelerate the development of home-based and point-of-care (POC) maternal health diagnostic devices, wearables, or other remote sensing technologies. Successful technologies will enable extension of care (e.g., empower individuals with actionable health information they can use to inform their decisions about when to seek additional care) and ultimately reduce severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality (SMM/MM) for individuals residing in maternity care deserts during the first year of the postpartum period (from day of delivery or end of pregnancy). Innovators participating in this challenge will submit a proposal describing in detail their prototype technology, anticipated clinical impact, and plans for continued development. These proposals will be reviewed during the Viability Assessment Phase from which selected winners will advance to the Deep Dive Assessment Phase. During the Deep Dive Phase, a Project Team of healthcare technology commercialization and content experts will engage directly with each Innovator to assess the prototype technology across defined Evaluation Criteria and will work with NIH to identify key risk factors for accelerated development and implementation and establish milestones that mitigate these risks, subject to final decisions by NIH. Innovators selected in the Deep Dive Phase will receive a cash prize and advance to the Technology Assessment Phase where they will rapidly de-risk their technologies with in-kind technical, clinical, and commercialization support and compete for an additional cash prize for successful milestone completion. At the end of the Technology Assessment Phase, Innovators will submit their technologies for independent testing and verification of performance and usability. Those Innovators whose technologies successfully complete the final phase will be rewarded with a cash prize and connected to NIH-funded research networks and centers to explore collaborations on their own. Winners are encouraged to apply for additional NIH funding to continue development of their technologies, but such funding is not guaranteed and is subject to the standard competition and application requirements of the relevant funding opportunity announcements. The RADx Tech for Maternal Health Challenge is part of the NIH Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) Initiative which supports research focused on reducing preventable causes of maternal deaths and improving health for women before, during, and after delivery.