We are excited to announce to our Warrior Mom community and all of our partners, friends and supporters that Postpartum Progress has received a Pipeline to Proposal funding contract from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute! This contract will help us build stronger relationships with researchers and other stakeholders, all in the pursuit of conducting our own research about technology, peer support and maternal mental health.
This is a big deal. The Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, or PCORI for short, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that is authorized by Congress. Since 2010, they’ve provided over $1 billion dollars in funding to projects that are committed to involving patients in all aspects of the research process. Their mandate is to increase the quality and quantity of information available to patients and the public when making important decisions about their health care. Patients and their desired treatment options, outcomes and the impact of these factors on their families and communities are just some of the guiding principles of PCORI’s work. PCORI calls it “research done differently.”
So where does Postpartum Progress fit into all this? We’ve received $15,000 as part of the PCORI Pipeline to Proposal program. This tiered program gives organizations like ours the money necessary to start important conversations with researchers about issues that matter to us. Things like, “we know peer support is really important for moms recovering from PPD, so how can we improve access to it?” And, “what innovative ways can we use social media and other technology to build community for Warrior Moms – and then generate evidence that it works?!”
Here’s the best part. Not only are we connecting with researchers, we’re also involving our Warrior Moms. In fact, you’re the biggest part of our upcoming project! There is going to be an opportunity to not just participate, but to help guide the process and work alongside researchers, other Warrior Moms and staff at Postpartum Progress.
Once we meet our project goals and have demonstrated success with our initial contract, there are more funding opportunities that will help us to continue building partnerships and engaging our moms. The goal is to create a formal research proposal that evaluates important aspects of peer support and our online community that YOU think are important and matter most. The research proposal will then be submitted to PCORI for review – and hopefully funding!
So many of us are left feeling isolated and alone during our PPD journey. We question our experience and wonder about our self-worth, our abilities as a mom and any impacts to our children. This funding is recognition that our lived experience matters. That our mental health matters. And that we can make a difference when it comes to improved treatment options.
Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming project and how you can get involved.
