US opens $1m funding call to update women’s preventive care guidelines

The US has opened a funding call offering up to US$1m to update women’s preventive care guidelines and support their use in clinical practice.

The funding will be awarded to one organisation in fiscal year 2027 to establish a multidisciplinary coalition responsible for reviewing existing recommendations.

The programme, called the Women’s Initiative for Screening and Health (WISH), aims to ensure the guidelines reflect current scientific evidence and reach healthcare professionals and communities.

Announced by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the initiative will fund evidence reviews and efforts to improve awareness of recommended preventive services.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, US health and human services secretary, said: “Women deserve preventive care grounded in gold-standard science, with clear guidance they and their doctors can trust.

“President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have made women’s health a priority at every stage of life.

“Through this initiative, HHS will turn rigorous research into stronger guidelines that help women and their doctors take action to prevent disease and protect health.”

The selected organisation must convene a panel of at least 10 experts from women’s health, primary care, public health, preventive medicine, behavioural health, and patient and consumer organisations.

The panel must also include representatives of organisations working with medically underserved women.

Its work will involve reviewing existing recommendations, determining whether they should be updated or reaffirmed, and developing information tailored to communities with limited resources.

Evidence reviews must follow National Academies standards for developing trustworthy clinical guidelines.

The programme builds on the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative, which has brought together clinical, academic and patient-focused organisations since 2016 to review evidence and recommend updates to women’s preventive healthcare guidance.

Under the Public Health Service Act, non-grandfathered group health plans and individual health insurance policies generally must cover preventive services supported by HRSA without copayments, deductibles or coinsurance.

A 2022 HHS report estimated that approximately 58 million women had private health insurance covering preventive services without additional cost sharing.

However, the department said many women remain unaware of these benefits.

The funding forms part of the administration’s priorities under Executive Order 14437, Advancing Women’s Health to Improve Outcomes in All Phases of Life.

The order includes measures to translate scientific research into clinical practice and strengthen preventive healthcare for women and girls.

WISH will also involve community-based and faith-based organisations, including those serving rural and frontier communities, to help make information about recommended services more widely available.

Tom Engels, administrator of HRSA, said: “The latest research only makes a difference when it reaches women and the clinicians caring for them. By bringing together clinical expertise and trusted community partners, we can help more women access recommended preventive care nationwide.”

Applications close on 8 January 2027 at 11.59pm Eastern Time.

Applicants must have active registrations with SAM.gov and Grants.gov and submit their applications through Grants.gov under opportunity number HRSA-27-072.