CAPSTONE Centers for Multidisciplinary Research in Child Abuse and Neglect

This renewal of the CAPSTONE Centers for Child Maltreatment Research initiative will focus on child sexual abuse (CSA), a preventable but understudied public health problem with serious lifelong consequences. CSA is linked to adverse developmental and health outcomes, including chronic gynecological, gastrointestinal, sexual health, and mental health conditions.  The renewed Centers are intended to overcome the significant practical, ethical, and methodological challenges in CSA research, addressing critical gaps in CSA research and including a required translation component. The multicomponent and collaborative nature of the P50 mechanism will create national resources for the field supporting innovative, high-quality research including : (1) studies evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions; (2) longitudinal studies of CSA-related chronic disease outcomes; (3) research on biological embedding and its health implications; and (4) projects that strengthen CSA data infrastructure.  Instead of just identifying general risk factors and etiology, the renewed Centers will focus on prevention and translational research to demonstrate measurable public health impact.  Grant authorities that allow the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to forecast this opportunity are as follows: 42 U.S.C. 281 (Sec. 401); 42 U.S.C. 285g (Sec. 448); 42 USC 284h (Sec. 409D)