The Systems & Policy Research Network (SPRNetwork) conducts research to help children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), their families, and healthcare systems thrive.
Mission and Vision
Our mission is to improve the health, quality of life, and well-being of all children and youth with special health care needs and their families through rigorous research by:
- Prioritizing lived experience partner expertise
- Accelerating collaborative transformation of systems of care for CYSHCN
- Informing meaningful policy impact
Our vision is that children and youth with special health care needs and their families thrive, with systems and policies designed to work for them.
Our Core Values
- Family Partnership
- Family-Centered Approach
- Collaboration
- Long-Term Impacts
- Scientific Merit
SPRNetwork Impact and Stats
Since 2017, the network has made great strides in advancing research for children and youth with special health care needs. What have we achieved in the past nine years?
- ~$9M in federal funding
- ~$4.7M in external grants
- More than 40 research projects
- Engaged over 100 lived experience partners
- More than 10 million people represented in our primary and secondary research studies
- More than 40 publications
- 108 posters and presentations
- 26 Emerging Investigators
Recent Posts
SPRNetwork Announces the 2026 Emerging Investigators Cohort
SPRNetwork is proud to introduce the 2026 Emerging Investigator (EI) Cohort, a group of promising researchers committed to improving the health and well-being of children and youth with special health care needs and their families. The Emerging Investigator Guided Research Program is one of SPRNetwork’s flagship initiatives. Designed as a one-year, mentored, family-partnered research experience,…
Dr. Eyal Cohen Honored for Mid-Career Achievement in Caring for Children with Medical Complexity
The Systems and Policy Research Network (SPRNetwork) is proud to announce Dr. Eyal Cohen as the recipient of the 2026 Pediatric Complex Care Mid-Career Achievement Award. This honor recognizes Dr. Cohen’s significant contributions to the field of pediatric complex care and his leadership in developing innovative models of care for children with medical complexity and…
Carolyn Allshouse Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Caring for Children with Medical Complexity
The Systems and Policy Research Network (SPRNetwork) is proud to announce Carolyn Allshouse as the recipient of the 2026 Pediatric Complex Care Lived Experience Partner Lifetime Achievement Award. This honor recognizes Carolyn’s extraordinary career as a family leader, educator, and champion for family-centered care. For more than 40 years, Carolyn has worked to advance family-centered…