Who funds maternal health research?

We count 334 funded maternal health projects, active between 2021 and 2034, from 7 funders. The most came from Gates Foundation (205 projects), Wellcome (38 projects) and EU · ERC (21 projects). The median award is $1.2M, across the 325 of 334 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

334

Funders

7

Median award

$1.2M

Open calls now

2

Top funders of maternal health research

Projects whose title or summary mentions maternal health. Median award: of the projects that list an amount, in US dollars; “—” when fewer than 3 do.

Open maternal health funding calls

2 open calls mention maternal health today.

• Using Archived Data and Specimen Collections to Advance Maternal and Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research (R21 CT Not Allowed)
  National Institutes of HealthUp to $200,000Deadline: October 20, 2028 ·
  Real odds: About 1 in 9 funded (11% · NIH R21 (exploratory/developmental), all NIH institutes, FY2025)
• Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort Data and Biospecimen Access (X01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  National Institutes of HealthNot specifiedDeadline: March 1, 2028 ·

Real odds

• About 1 in 9 funded · 11% · NIH R21 (exploratory/developmental), all NIH institutes, FY2025 · NIH Data Book, report 202

Published success rates for the programs behind the open calls above: the share of applications the funder funded, program-wide, not for this topic.

Forecast: announced, not open yet

11 forecast calls on maternal health. Funders publish forecasts before a call opens; you can't apply to these yet, and dates can change.

• ForecastAlliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Technical Assistance Center
  Health Resources and Services AdministrationUp to $3,000,000Expected to open October 14, 2026
• ForecastMaternal and Child Health (MCH) Nutrition Training Program
  Health Resources and Services Administration$550,000 – $735,000Expected to open November 20, 2026
• ForecastTribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program: Development and Implementation Grants
  Administration for Children and Families$250,000 – $1,000,000Expected to open December 1, 2026
• ForecastMaternal and Child Health Encounters Networks (MCHEK)
  Health Resources and Services AdministrationUp to $1,000,000Expected to open December 18, 2026
• ForecastMaternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV)
  Health Resources and Services Administration$3,285,203 – $48,596,938Expected to open December 18, 2026
• ForecastAlliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Capacity Program
  Health Resources and Services AdministrationUp to $230,000Expected to open January 15, 2027
• ForecastRural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program
  Health Resources and Services AdministrationUp to $1,000,000Expected to open February 19, 2027
• ForecastMaternal-Child Surveillance and Partnerships for Action, Results, and Knowledge
  Centers for Disease Control - NCBDDDNot specifiedExpected to open February 25, 2027

Funded maternal health projects

A sample, latest start first, at most three per program.

• Uncovering the biological basis of probiotic non-response in preterm gut health
  Wellcome · £2,627,999 · ends 2034
• Congenital heart disease epidemiology and risk factors
  Wellcome · £2,195,504 · ends 2033
• Olfactory communication in the first weeks of life: from chemical mechanisms to improving breastfeeding outcomes
  Wellcome · £3,527,084 · ends 2032
• United States Fund for UNICEF — Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health
  Gates Foundation · $50,000,000 · ends 2031
• MS Center for Clinical and Translational Research
  NIH · NIGMS · $5,185,402 · ends 2031
• ADRC NI 2026-31 Recommissioning
  UKRI · ESRC · £12,313,028 · ends 2031
• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — Family Planning
  Gates Foundation · $100,000,000 · ends 2030
• Lahore University of Management Sciences — Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health
  Gates Foundation · $6,594,811 · ends 2030
• AMETHIST@Penn: Achieving Maternal Empowerment and Transforming Health through Implementation Science and Training
  NIH · NICHD · $4,187,346 · ends 2030
• Data Coordination and Innovation Hub
  NIH · NICHD · $3,247,291 · ends 2030

How we count

Funded projects come from public award records (NIH RePORTER, NSF, EU CORDIS, UKRI Gateway to Research, Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, DOE, NASA and USDA NIFA) whose title or summary matches “maternal”. NIH lists each budget year separately; one project counts once. Amounts are as the funder lists them; medians use only projects that list one, in US dollars. Open calls and forecasts are from our listings of October 28, 2026. A project can mention a topic without being mainly about it, so treat the counts as a guide to who funds the area.