Innovative Program Award & Research Grant
The National Association of Perinatal Social Workers invites applications for the Innovative Programs/Research Grant. This grant provides seed money for perinatal social workers to fund special programs or research efforts that would otherwise be unfunded through their agency or place of employment. This purpose of this program is to:
- Help social workers in funding innovative programs designed to identify or meet the needs of their client population.
- Encourage the translation of evidence-based findings to be practiced through the development of novel or unique interventions.
- Encourage the evaluation of best practices through research projects designed to inform practice.
Interested applicants should submit a 3-5 page proposal that includes the following elements: 
- Discuss how the proposed project contributes to the goals of NAPSW.
- Description of the need and population being served.
- Description of the program implementation or research plan to include:
- Aims
- How those aims will be conducted (specific plan)
- Outcomes — include evaluation of outcomes or benchmarks.
- Time line
- Budget
- Agency letter of support
This program is open to social workers of any level currently practicing in a perinatal field, as well as full-time students currently enrolled in an accredited social work graduate or undergraduate degree program with a research agenda that relates to perinatal social work. The selected applicant(s) will receive a one-time funding award of $1,000.00 and are expected to give a poster presentation of their outcomes or research findings at the NAPSW Annual Conference the year following the award. A two-page summary of findings should go with the poster presentation. Award recipients must be a member of NAPSW or agree to join and support membership in NAPSW for the year in which funding is provided.
Applications are being accepted through February 27, 2026. Please submit the requested information to awards@napsw.org.
Current Recipient Information:
Congratulations to Kassie Merrill Olver, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, Social Work Program Manager and Perinatal Palliative Care Psychosocial Director from Boston Children’s Hospital Fetal Care and Surgery Center for being the Recipient of the 2026 Innovative Program Award for Parental Decision- Making Following a Life – Limiting Fetal Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study. This qualitative study will explore parental experiences of medical decision-making following a life-limiting fetal diagnosis at a tertiary fetal center. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, this project will center parental voices and generate practice- informed recommendations to strengthen perinatal social work care. Findings will inform interdisciplinary counseling approaches, trauma-informed communication practices and family centered care models withing fetal care centers. We look forward to reading about Kassie’s findings at next year’s 2027 virtual conference.
Click here to read more about our past Innovative Program Award and Research Grant recipients.
Applications are being accepted through February 27, 2026. Please submit the requested information to awards@napsw.org.
Current Recipient Information:
Congratulations to Kassie Merrill Olver, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, Social Work Program Manager and Perinatal Palliative Care Psychosocial Director from Boston Children’s Hospital Fetal Care and Surgery Center for being the Recipient of the 2026 Innovative Program Award for Parental Decision- Making Following a Life – Limiting Fetal Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study. This qualitative study will explore parental experiences of medical decision-making following a life-limiting fetal diagnosis at a tertiary fetal center. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, this project will center parental voices and generate practice- informed recommendations to strengthen perinatal social work care. Findings will inform interdisciplinary counseling approaches, trauma-informed communication practices and family centered care models withing fetal care centers. We look forward to reading about Kassie’s findings at next year’s 2027 virtual conference.
Click here to read more about our past Innovative Program Award and Research Grant recipients.