Table 2: Top 15 research questions according to their achieved RPS, with AEA related to each question

Rank	Research question	Criterion 1: answerable by research	Criterion 2: research feasibility	Criterion 3: deliverability	Criterion 4: impact	Criterion 5: equity	RPS	AEA
1	How can caregivers be mentored in recognizing child health danger signs (e.g., for pneumonia)?	0.90	0.97	0.91	0.89	0.80	89.25	0.82
2	Identify and evaluate delivery strategies to increase coverage of oral rehydration solution and zinc among remote populations and the poorest of the poor.	0.74	0.91	0.76	0.94	0.98	86.61	0.78
3	Can improved methods of detecting and managing dehydration in children with diarrhea reduce mortality?	0.93	0.88	0.88	0.85	0.77	86.26	0.82
4	Evaluate whether coverage of antibiotic treatment can be greatly expanded in safe and effective ways if administered by community health workers.	0.80	0.91	0.81	0.95	0.82	85.62	0.79
5	How can smart phoneintegrated community case management apps be implemented to accurately identify newborns and under-5 children requiring referral from their communities to a health facility?	0.88	0.93	0.85	0.90	0.66	84.23	0.78
6	What are effective delivery strategies to ensure that the most vulnerable individuals receive critical RMNCAH services?	0.70	0.85	0.68	0.95	0.99	83.31	0.77
7	Evaluate ways to reduce the financial barriers to facility births at the community level, such as through user fee exemptions, emergency loans, conditional cash transfers and transportation vouchers.	0.73	0.89	0.78	0.84	0.87	82.05	0.74
8	Can a simplified neonatal resuscitation program delivered by trained health workers reduce deaths due to intrapartum events and complications and birth asphyxia?	0.81	0.89	0.91	0.77	0.70	81.69	0.77
9	Can a standardized newborn kit (simple bag/mask, clean blades/knives, and cord clamps) with appropriate education reduce newborn mortality and morbidity?	0.78	0.93	0.82	0.66	0.90	81.54	0.72
10	How can mobile technology be used to identify mothers and children at risk, reduce unneeded transports and facilitate earlier timed care?	0.81	0.88	0.78	0.85	0.75	81.52	0.75
11	What factors drive care-seeking behaviour during childhood diarrheal disease, and how can we position oral rehydration solution and zinc to best respond to these factors?	0.62	0.81	0.88	0.88	0.88	81.32	0.71
12	Identify and evaluate strategies for retention and motivation of community health workers.	0.73	0.95	0.82	0.84	0.71	81.30	0.73
13	Identify innovative mechanisms to support and utilize existing trained but underutilized human resources in health (such as community midwives in Pakistan, auxiliary nurse midwives in India, and clinical officers in Malawi) to provide high-quality maternal health services in remote and rural areas.	0.64	0.84	0.74	0.88	0.93	80.62	0.72
14	How can we overcome the barriers to implementing kangaroo care in low-resource settings?	0.76	0.94	0.89	0.87	0.53	79.75	0.72
15	How can we overcome barriers to uptake of modern contraceptives in settings with very low prevalence of contraceptive use?	0.59	0.93	0.80	0.87	0.79	79.61	0.72

Note: AEA = average expert agreement, RMNCAH, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, RPS = research priority score.