Program Overview

The Nuvo Maternal–Fetal Data Access Grant is an independent research enablement initiative designed to advance the science of pregnancy physiology. Nuvo provides qualified investigators with controlled access to one of the world’s most comprehensive longitudinal, real-world maternal–fetal datasets, supporting rigorous, multimodal, and clinically meaningful research.

Background and Rationale

Historically, pregnancy physiology research has been constrained by limited datasets, short-duration recordings, and single-modality measurements. Nuvo’s platform overcomes these limitations by capturing synchronized fetal and maternal electrophysiology, phonocardiography, and motion data at scale. This grant program exists to enable independent scientific discovery while establishing best practices for ethical, transparent data stewardship.

Dataset Description

The dataset includes over 350,000 minutes of monitoring data across more than 25,000 sessions from live pregnancies. Modalities include fetal ECG (fECG), maternal ECG (mECG), fetal PCG (fPCG), maternal PCG (mPCG), and inertial motion (IMU) signals. Each session is accompanied by structured session-level and pregnancy-level metadata enabling cohort definition and longitudinal analysis.

IRB Status and Retrospective Research Authorization

Nuvo has received blanket Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the use of its de-identified, longitudinal maternal–fetal dataset for retrospective research purposes. This approval covers the collection, storage, and secondary analysis of data included in the Nuvo dataset as described in this RFP.

Investigators conducting retrospective analyses using only the Nuvo-provided dataset may rely on this existing approval where permitted by their institution, subject to local IRB policies and requirements. Investigators remain responsible for obtaining any required institutional approvals, determinations, or exemptions applicable to their specific research.

This blanket approval applies solely to retrospective research using existing Nuvo data and does not extend to prospective data collection, interventional studies, or use of INVU devices in new patient populations, which require separate IRB review and approval.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include academic medical centers, research hospitals, non-academic hospitals, and clinical care organizations engaged in systematic clinical research. Commercial clinics may apply provided that proposed research activities are non-commercial in nature and conducted under appropriate ethical and regulatory oversight. All projects must have active IRB approval or documented exemption prior to data access.

Priority Research Areas

Priority areas include fetal cardiac electrophysiology, electromechanical coupling, motion-aware signal quality assessment, longitudinal fetal cardiac development, and false-positive reduction in remote fetal monitoring.

What the Grant Provides

Awardees receive time-limited access to curated datasets via a secure cloud-based research environment. No raw data downloads are permitted. Awardees may export derived metrics, figures, and aggregate results subject to review.

In addition, Nuvo will provide INVU wearable devices and complimentary access to the INVU platform up to a retail value of $3,000 for the duration of approved studies, where applicable, to support prospective or hybrid research designs. Further, Nuvo will provide independent regulatory and statistician support up to a value of $5,000.

In addition to data access and platform support, selected awardees may receive a cash research grant of up to $10,000 USD per project. Cash awards are intended to support direct research-related expenses and are subject to institutional policies and applicable laws.

Cash support is intended solely to offset direct research-related costs and is not contingent upon study outcomes, publication decisions, or commercial use of results. For commercial entities, cash support may be subject to additional institutional compliance review.

Governance and Review Process

All proposals are reviewed by an independent Scientific Advisory Committee composed of external clinical, technical, and ethics experts. Nuvo personnel serve only in a non-voting observer capacity.

In evaluating proposals, the Scientific Advisory Committee will consider the feasibility of study completion within a 12 month timeframe and the clarity of the proposed path from analysis to potential clinical impact.

Publication Policy

Awardees retain full rights to publish their findings independently. Publications must acknowledge use of the Nuvo dataset. Nuvo retains the right to review manuscripts solely for factual accuracy regarding dataset description and platform capabilities.

Publications arising from research conducted by commercial or non-academic entities must disclose the institutional affiliation of the investigators and shall not imply endorsement of the investigator, institution, or study conclusions by Nuvo.

Intellectual Property

Investigators retain ownership of all foreground intellectual property arising from their research. Nuvo retains ownership of the underlying dataset, platform, and any pre-existing intellectual property. No joint ownership is implied or granted.

Data Use and Confidentiality

All awardees must execute a Data Use Agreement (DUA) governing permitted uses, security requirements, and confidentiality obligations. Data may not be redistributed, re-identified, or used for commercial purposes without explicit written authorization.

Data generated through use of INVU wearable devices or the INVU platform during approved studies shall be treated as study-derived data. Investigators retain rights to analyze and publish such data, subject to the DUA, while Nuvo retains ownership of the INVU platform, devices, and underlying system data.

Legal and Compliance

All research must comply with applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards, including HIPAA and GDPR where applicable. Nuvo reserves the right to terminate access in the event of material breach.

Commercial and non-academic applicants must demonstrate access to an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee and comply with the same ethical and regulatory standards as academic institutions.

Application Process

Applicants must submit a letter of intent followed by a full proposal. Selection criteria include scientific rigor, clinical relevance, feasibility, and ethical compliance.

Preference will be given to proposals designed as short-cycle studies (up to 12 months in duration) with a clear and plausible pathway to improving clinical care for pregnancy.

Such pathways may include, but are not limited to, improvements in risk stratification, signal quality assessment, reduction of false positives, earlier detection of clinically meaningful patterns, or enhanced longitudinal monitoring strategies. Proposals should articulate how anticipated findings could inform clinical workflows, decision-making, or future standards of care, even if additional validation would be required.

Submission Instructions

Submission Method: Email

Accepted File Formats: PDF preferred (Word accepted).

Required Naming Convention: Institution_PI_ProjectTitle_NuvoDataGrant2026.pdf (example).

Submission Email: research@nuvo.com

Required Application Package

• Letter of Intent (LOI) — 1–2 pages
• Full Proposal — 5–8 pages (by invitation)
  • PI biosketch/CV (NIH-style acceptable)
  • Data Security and Access Plan (1 page)
  • Institutional sign-off / Authorized Organizational Representative contact (if required by your institution)

Proposal Format (Full Proposal)

Full proposals should follow the structure below (recommended headings):

• Project Title + Abstract (150–250 words)
• Principal Investigator / Team / Institution
• Research Question, Aims, Hypothesis, and Clinical Motivation
• Cohort Definition (inclusion/exclusion criteria)
• Methods and Analysis Plan (including statistical plan)
• Primary/Secondary Endpoints and Expected Outputs
• Timeline and Milestones (up to 12 months)
• Data Security Plan and Compliance (HIPAA/GDPR as applicable)
• Publication Plan (target journals/conferences; expected preprints)
• Optional: Budget Summary
• Formatting: 12-point font double-spaced

Evaluation Rubric

Dataset Access Details and Export Rules

Access duration: up to six months, renewable upon request and committee approval.

Environment: Secure cloud-based research workspace; no raw data downloads permitted.

Compute: CPU compute included; GPU availability (if any) should be specified.

Export: Only derived metrics, figures, and aggregate results may be exported, subject to Nuvo review for privacy and policy compliance.

Support: onboarding session + office hours and ticket-based support.

Prohibited Uses

• Any attempt to re-identify individuals or link the dataset to external sources for identity inference
• Redistribution of data, credentials, or access to unauthorized parties
• Exporting raw signals or row-level identifiable traces
• Use of the dataset for commercial product development without explicit written authorization
  
  

Publication, Publicity, and Acknowledgement

Required acknowledgement statement:

“This study used the Nuvo Maternal–Fetal Dataset provided under the Nuvo Maternal–Fetal Data Access Grant.”

Nuvo may review manuscripts solely for factual accuracy regarding dataset description and platform capabilities.

Public announcements: awardees should not issue press releases or public communications about selection without prior written approval.

Conflict of Interest (COI)

Applicants must disclose conflicts of interest, including financial relationships, advisory roles, or competing interests that could bias interpretation.

Scientific Advisory Committee members will recuse themselves from reviewing proposals where a conflict exists.

Timeline

Review Committee

All submissions will be evaluated by a Review Committee comprised of three maternal–fetal medicine specialists. The Committee is chaired by Dr. Karen Florio, with members Dr. Demilade Adedinsewo and Dr. Sean Esplin. The Committee has full discretion to select which LOIs are invited for full proposal submission, and to determine final grant awards based on overall scientific merit, feasibility, and alignment with the goals of this RFP.

FAQ

Do I need my own IRB if Nuvo has a blanket IRB?
Investigators must follow their local IRB requirements. Many institutions will accept reliance or exemption, but determinations vary. Nuvo’s blanket IRB will be made available.

Can I export trained model weights or derived features?
Derived artifacts may be exportable subject to review and the DUA; raw data is not exportable.

Can commercial entities apply?
Yes, provided research is non-commercial in nature and appropriate ethics oversight is in place.

Can I combine Nuvo data with my institution’s datasets?
Only with written approval and consistent with the DUA and privacy policies.

Version & Release Information

Document Title: Nuvo Maternal–Fetal Data Access Grant — Request for Research Proposals (RFP)

Version: v___ (Final Release)

Release Date: ____________

Contact: research@nuvo.com

Contact Information

Questions regarding this RFP may be directed to Nuvo’s Research Programs Office at: research@nuvo.com