Public Health Law Research (PHLR) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program seeks to build the evidence for and strengthen the use of regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health. PHLR is equally interested in identifying and ameliorating laws and legal practices that unintentionally harm health. PHLR’s purpose is to answer important questions, such as: How does law influence health and health behavior? Which laws have the greatest impact? Can current laws be made more effective through better enforcement, or do they require amendment?

• Up to $2.5 million will be available under this call for proposals (CFP) for research studies.
• Short-term studies—Awards of up to $150,000 each for a maximum of 18 months.
• Complex and comprehensive studies—Awards of up to $450,000 each for a maximum of 30 months.
  

• February 29, 2012 (2:30–3:30 p.m. ET)—Optional Web conference call for brief proposal applicants. Registration is required.
• April 4, 2012 (3 p.m. ET)—Deadline for receipt of brief proposals.
• May 18, 2012—Applicants notified if invited to submit full proposals.
• May 31, 2012 (2:30–3:30 p.m. ET)—Optional Web conference call for full proposal applicants. Registration is required.
• July 10, 2012 (3 p.m. ET)—Deadline for receipt of full proposals.
• Late September 2012—Finalists notified.
• November 15, 2012—Funding initiated.

• Preference will be given to those applicant organizations that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories. The focus of this program is the United States; studies involving other countries will be considered only to the extent they may directly inform U.S. law and policy.

Full selection criteria can be found in the Call for Proposals.