What Arkansas Children's Research Institute does

Arkansas Children's Research Institute (ACRI) is the pediatric research arm of the Arkansas Children's non-profit healthcare system, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. ACRI conducts NIH-funded translational and clinical research across six principal disease areas — cystic fibrosis, pediatric cancers, food allergies, COVID-19/long-haul COVID, childhood obesity, and neurological conditions — operating three core research centers (Center for Translational Pediatric Research, Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention) plus the Arkansas Center for Food Allergy Research (ArCOFAR). The institute's research infrastructure is anchored by a 14,000-square-foot Pediatric Clinical Research Unit (PCRU) with 16 private treatment rooms integrated into the new Champions Pavilion facility, enabling outpatient pediatric clinical trial participation.

The parent Arkansas Children's healthcare system delivers comprehensive pediatric clinical care across Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock (the state's only children's hospital, only Level 1 pediatric trauma center, and only Level 4 epilepsy center), Arkansas Children's Northwest in Springdale, and the ACH Jonesboro Clinic, supplemented by the Angel One pediatric transport service with mobile ECMO capability covering a 300-mile region. Specialized clinical programs include ECMO (~50 patients annually from 24+ states), pediatric cardiac care (ranked highest in a 300-mile region by U.S. News & World Report), comprehensive neurosciences, and aerodigestive care. Distinctive technologies include MEG brain imaging, the first and only Rise & Walk neurorehabilitation machine in the world for pediatric use, and advanced systems biology approaches in pediatric oncology.

Revenue flows through three primary streams: patient care services (insurance, Medicaid, and a Financial Assistance Program consolidated under a Single Billing Office from July 2025), philanthropic donations (Children's Miracle Network partnership, a record $50M Golisano gift in 2025, ACH/ACNW Auxiliary fundraising), and NIH research grants (approximately $60M awarded 2021-2024 across multiple disease areas, including $11.5M in CTPR Phase II funding). The go-to-market model is referral-driven: physician referral networks, community engagement through Children's Miracle Network, school partnerships, and the Angel One transport system feed the patient pipeline, while NIH competitive grants and major donor cultivation drive the research and capital expansion pipeline.

Name

Arkansas Children's Research Institute

Legal name

Arkansas Children's

Website

https://archildrens.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Arkansas Children's Research Institute is the non-profit pediatric research arm of Arkansas Children's, operating NIH-funded translational research centers on cancer, cystic fibrosis, food allergy, obesity, and COVID-19 alongside the state's only children's hospital, sole Level 1 pediatric trauma center, and only Level 4 epilepsy center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Healthcare and Research

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111), Offices of Physicians (6211)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Specialty Care Centers (e.g., cardiology, oncology, neurology) (HLAFAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL)

Keywords

• Pediatric clinical research
• Child healthcare services
• Pediatric specialty care
• Translational medical research
• Pediatric hospital services

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Patient Care Services: Healthcare services revenue generated through patient care at Arkansas Children's Hospital and clinics. Services include inpatient hospital care, outpatient specialty clinics, emergency services, and surgical procedures. The Single Billing Office system consolidates all patient billing.
2. Philanthropic Donations: Arkansas Children's Foundation raises funds through donations, events, and planned giving to support hospital programs, research, and patient care.
3. Research Grants and Funding: NIH and federal grants fund specific research projects and centers including the Center for Translational Pediatric Research (CTPR), food allergy research, cystic fibrosis therapy optimization, Aspergillus fumigatus fungus research, COVID-19 studies, childhood leukemia research, and childhood obesity research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Arkansas Children's Research Institute is the research arm of Arkansas Children's Hospital, conducting NIH-funded pediatric clinical and translational research across cystic fibrosis, childhood cancers, food allergies, COVID-19, childhood obesity, and neurological conditions. It supports clinical trials through a 14,000-square-foot Pediatric Clinical Research Unit (PCRU) and operates specialized research centers including the Center for Translational Pediatric Research (CTPR), Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center (ACNC), Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP), and Arkansas Center for Food Allergy Research (ArCOFAR). The institute complements Arkansas Children's Hospital's clinical care delivery across its Little Rock campus, Arkansas Children's Northwest in Springdale, the ACH Jonesboro Clinic, and the Champions Pavilion outpatient center.

Product overview

Arkansas Children's Research Institute (ACRI) is a pediatric healthcare and research institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of clinical services, research programs, and support services. The research institute houses three major NIH-funded research centers: the Center for Translational Pediatric Research (CTPR), Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center (ACNC), and Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention (CCOP). Clinical care is delivered through Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas Children's Northwest in Springdale, and the ACH Jonesboro Clinic. The recently opened Champions Pavilion is a 157,916-square-foot outpatient facility with an expanded 14,000-square-foot Pediatric Clinical Research Unit (PCRU) enabling more children to participate in outpatient research. The institution operates specialized programs including the Angel One pediatric transport team (with mobile ECMO), Level 4 Epilepsy Center, only Level One pediatric trauma center in Arkansas, and comprehensive pediatric cardiac care. Support services include Child Life, Center for Good Mourning grief support, and Financial Assistance. Fundraising is facilitated through the ACH Auxiliary, ACNW Auxiliary, and Children's Miracle Network partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arkansas Children's Hospital

Quantifiable outcome

• PICU survival rates equal or exceed ELSO registry averages for ECMO patients
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRI collaborates with UAMS on pediatric research including childhood obesity studies, proteogenomics research, and shares PHI between institutions for treatment purposes. The partnership enables academic medicine integration, physician training, and joint research initiatives through the Center for Translational Pediatric Research.
• Golisano Children's AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas Children's joined the Golisano Children's Alliance network, expanding to 12 children's hospitals nationwide. The $50 million gift from B. Thomas Golisano supports expansion, infrastructure, and the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness.
• Children's Miracle Network HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas Children's is the only Children's Miracle Network hospital in Arkansas. CMN raises funds through corporate sponsors including Walmart, Sam's Club, Log a Load For Kids, Fred's, RE/MAX, and Credit Unions 4 Kids. Donations fund medical care, research, and education.
• Baptist HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas Children's and Baptist Health signed a Letter of Intent with UAMS and Proton International to build Arkansas's first proton treatment center for cancer therapy.
• Proton InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the planned proton therapy treatment center development for pediatric cancer treatment in Arkansas.
• Arkansas Children's Care NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of affiliated healthcare providers enabling coordinated pediatric care and referral services across Arkansas.
• Canine CompanionsminorOthersNonprofit organization that provides trained service and facility dogs at no cost. Snickers, a facility dog, joined the ACH Child Life department through this partnership.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Boston Children's Hospital: Boston Children's Hospital is the largest pediatric research enterprise in the US and Harvard-affiliated. It is a broad incumbent peer given ACRI's overlapping scope of pediatric specialty care, NIH-funded research portfolio, and pediatric clinical trials infrastructure.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP): CHOP is one of the nation's largest and oldest children's hospitals with a top-ranked research institute. It is a direct peer in pediatric specialty care, NIH-funded research, and clinical trial programs—comparable across the breadth of services ACRI offers.
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: Cincinnati Children's is consistently the largest NIH-funded pediatric research institution. It is a broad incumbent peer given comparable scope in pediatric specialty care delivery, translational research, and clinical trials across multiple disease areas.
• Texas Children's Hospital: Texas Children's Hospital, affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, is one of the largest US pediatric hospitals. It is a broad incumbent peer with overlapping pediatric specialty care, research, and clinical trial operations comparable to ACRI's scope.
• St. Louis Children's Hospital: St. Louis Children's Hospital is a BJC HealthCare-affiliated, WashU pediatric academic medical center. It is a comparable peer in pediatric specialty care delivery and NIH-funded research within a similar mid-size market footprint to ACRI.
• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is a major pediatric system affiliated with Emory University. It is a broad incumbent peer with comparable pediatric specialty care, research institute, and clinical trials operations within the same regional quaternary-care positioning as ACRI.
• Seattle Children's Hospital: Seattle Children's is a major pediatric academic medical center affiliated with UW. It is a comparable peer in pediatric specialty care delivery, translational research, and NIH-funded investigator programs that mirror ACRI's research center structure.
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt Children's Hospital is a leading academic pediatric center in the Southeast US. It is a comparable peer in pediatric specialty care and research mission, particularly in regional quaternary care and NIH-funded clinical research.
• Children's Hospital Colorado: Children's Hospital Colorado is a major regional pediatric academic center affiliated with the University of Colorado. It is a comparable peer in pediatric specialty care, NIH-funded research portfolio, and clinical trials infrastructure serving a multi-state region.
• Nemours Children's Health: Nemours Children's Health operates multi-state pediatric hospitals and research programs with an Alfred I. duPont trust-funded non-profit model. It is a peer given comparable non-profit structure, pediatric specialty care, and translational research mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arkansas Children's Research Institute