The Arkansas Center will perform original research such as the assessment of the indirect costs associated with children born with congenital heart disease and the effectiveness of a public health intervention to improve the folic acid levels in women of child-bearing age. The Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center is the sixth national human nutrition research center funded by the Agriculture Research Service of United States Department of Agriculture. The Nutrition Center is one of only two pediatric nutrition centers in the United States. More importantly, it is the only center in the United States conducting research on the effects of early dietary intervention on the prevention of chronic illnesses. A second phase which will add three floors to the Center's facilities.
Research includes the entire pediatric age span from infancy through adolescence.
The department has worked to establish a foundation in health services research. CHPW pursues these goals by coordinating the development of prevention-based projects, locating potential funding sources for these projects, submitting grant proposals, and by acting as a liaison between the service and health communities. The Center promotes research though the design and conduct of evaluation studies related to these interventions. The Center successfully submitted a grant proposal to train child care providers throughout Arkansas. Most recently, the Center has received funding from Arkansas Children's Hospital Circle of Friends to coordinate four projects in the area of juvenile violence.