NICHD Capstone Centers for Child Maltreatment Research

About the Capstone Center P50 Mechanism 

The NICHD Capstone Centers for Multidisciplinary Research in Child Abuse and Neglect are supported through the specialized P50 grant mechanism—an ambitious initiative designed to catalyze innovation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and workforce development in the field of child maltreatment research. These centers serve as national hubs for cutting-edge, translational science that informs prevention, detection, and intervention strategies for child abuse and neglect. The P50 mechanism brings together experts from diverse fields—psychology, social work, medicine, law, education, and beyond—to address the complex, interrelated causes and consequences of maltreatment and promote data-driven solutions that can be applied in real-world settings. 

Recognizing the urgent need for more integrated, collaborative approaches, the P50 Capstone Center model supports comprehensive research that spans biological, behavioral, and systems-level inquiry. These centers aim to bridge gaps across disciplines, improve data sharing and clinical practices, and train the next generation of scholars to lead the field forward. With a strong emphasis on innovative, high-risk, high-reward research, the Capstone Centers are uniquely positioned to transform how we understand and respond to child maltreatment—ultimately helping to prevent abuse, support survivors, and improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and families nationwide. 

---

Other Capstone Center Grantees 

TRANSFORM Center (Translational Research that Adapts New Science FOR Maltreatment) 

MPIs: Jennie Noll & Sheree L. Toth 
University of Rochester 

The TRANSFORM Research Center is a nationally recognized Center of Excellence, funded by the National Institutes of Health.  The center’s mission is to change the paradigm of child maltreatment prevention from reactive to proactive through research and dissemination. Core areas include three ground-breaking studies and an expansive research dissemination program. 

Research projects include: 

• Project 1—Family Health Study  
  A study examining the long-term and multigenerational impact of child maltreatment on physical and mental health in adulthood and across generations. 
•  Project 2—Project TRAIL (Thriving, Responding, and Adapting in Interpersonal Life) 
  A study examining the adult intimate partner and parent-child relationship sequelae of adverse and benevolent socialization experiences in childhood. 
• Project 3—Resilient Roots  
  A pilot study to examine the feasibility and acceptability of augmenting TF-CBT with socialization practices to improve outcomes and support parenting strategies.  

 

Center for Innovation in Child Maltreatment Policy, Research, and Training (CICM) 

PI: Melissa Johnson-Reid
Brown School of Social Work, Washington University-St. Louis 

CICM is dedicated to advancing science to prevent child maltreatment and, when prevention is not possible, to effectively intervene to promote healthy outcomes. It is grounded in the idea that research, practice, and training efforts must be related and of equal importance to assure that policy and practice are informed by the latest science. 

Research projects include: 

• Project 1—Child Welfare Data SMART (Specification, Management, Analysis, Replication & Transfer) 
  DataSMART is a project where states can, with modest reformatting of their in-state existing data, run “off the shelf” programs designed by national child maltreatment researchers. States wishing to use DataSMART programs work with the project team to modify their in-house data and then execute available programs.  
•  Project 2—Identification of Newborns at High Risk for the Occurrence of Preventable Child Maltreatment Project (SURROUND) 
  A study to compare the performance of newborn screening for identifying the risk of child maltreatment. This RCT will use record data, birth records, and clinical assessments to improve the targeting of preventive services. 
•  Project 3—Scientific Learning Collaborative Dynamic Evidence Map 
  This project is creating a public facing dynamic literature map using a novel application of Group Model Building (GMB), as systems science method, with academic and field experts to develop a qualitative map of hypothesized paths to and following CM and then link this to empirical findings. 
   

Center on Causal Data Science for Child Maltreatment Prevention (the CHAMP Center) 

PI: Glenn Saxe 
New York University Grossman School of Medicine 

The CHAMP Center is developing a bold new approach to preventing child maltreatment and its lifelong consequences. By harnessing cutting-edge causal data science, CHAMP seeks to uncover the complex root causes of abuse and neglect—and turn that knowledge into actionable tools for frontline professionals. Through integrated research, innovation, and real-world testing, the center is shaping smarter, more targeted strategies to protect vulnerable children and support their long-term well-being. 

Research projects include: 

• Project 1—Causal Modeling & Tool Development 
  This project uses advanced causal data science and machine learning to identify the root causes of child maltreatment and related outcomes, developing decision support tools to help practitioners deliver personalized, effective interventions. 
•  Project 2—Real-World Field Trial
  This project will test a decision support tool, developed through Project 1, in a clinical setting to evaluate its safety, practicality, and effectiveness—providing critical feedback to refine and scale precision prevention strategies.