Translational Center for Child Maltreatment Studies at Penn State
Official title: Penn State University's Translational Center for Child Maltreatment Studies (TCCMS)
Funded at Pennsylvania State University, the · NIH-11362674 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A center-funded program focused on understanding and improving care for children who experience maltreatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State University, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University Park, United States) |
| Project start | April 20, 2017 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,771,000 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD089922-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362674 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents who have experienced abuse or neglect and are involved with or at risk for Child Protective Services.
✕Less likely to help
Children without maltreatment exposure or those not engaged with protective services may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This center supports long-term research on child maltreatment, including tracking how abuse and neglect affect development into adulthood. It will expand a large observational cohort to study pathways through adolescence and into adulthood, and it will pilot better forensic evaluations for suspected maltreatment. The effort aims to shorten gaps between research findings and real-world improvements in access to high-quality care for affected children and families. The center also includes outreach activities to share findings with clinicians, policymakers, and communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to earlier identification, better supports, and improved long-term outcomes for children who experience maltreatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous observational cohorts and translational centers in child maltreatment have shown that detailed data can inform practice and policy changes, though improvements in outcomes require continued translation.
Where this research is happening
-
Pennsylvania State University, the
University Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Connell, Christian M — Pennsylvania State University, the
- Study coordinator: Connell, Christian M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how state income support affects pediatric hospitalizations and child maltreatment
This project looks at how different state policies that provide income support to families influence hospital stays for kids and rates of child maltreatment.
-
Pilot test of a telehealth-based approach to improve child maltreatment prevention reach and quality
A pilot project will test a telehealth-enabled approach to help more families access high-quality, safe child maltreatment prevention services.
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CHAMP Center: Causal Data Science to Prevent Child Maltreatment
A large, team-based effort uses advanced data science to understand what causes different kinds of child maltreatment so that better prevention approaches can be developed for kids 0-11 and their families.
-
Preventing child maltreatment by supporting pregnant women and early childhood relationships
A multi-site trial tests programs delivered during pregnancy and when children are ages 3–6 to reduce child maltreatment and promote healthier parent-child bonds.
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Dissemination and Outreach Core for Penn State's Translational Center for Child Maltreatment Studies
A national research center is funding outreach efforts to help child protective services use evidence to better prevent and respond to child maltreatment.
-
Telehealth for adolescent sexual assault forensic care (SAFE-T) expansion
A nationwide program helps rural and underserved hospitals give expert, trauma-informed sexual assault care to adolescent survivors through telehealth support.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.