Research in Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems

Introduction & Purpose

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is committed to building a Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. Since 2017, the Foundation’s Research in Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems (RTHS) program, managed by AcademyHealth, has helped advance this vision by supporting rigorous, empirical studies that help policymakers, practitioners, stakeholders, and others understand the effects of current or potential policies to transform health and healthcare systems. In recent years, the RTHS program has strengthened its commitment to advancing racial equity by prioritizing the perspectives of community members and other impacted stakeholders in funded research.

The purpose of the 2022 RTHS call for proposals is to support policy-relevant, community-engaged research that helps improve the affordability of care for communities most impacted by structural racism, inequities, and discrimination. We seek proposals for research and policy analysis projects that examine the design, implementation, and/or impact of local, state, and/or national policies related to the affordability of high-quality, equitable care. Studies may include people’s ability to: afford health insurance; pay for healthcare services (even with insurance); pay for transportation; child care; and other services that in turn affect access to medical care. The projects’ goals are to generate timely and useful information for use by policymakers and other decision-makers.

Proposals should focus on a historically marginalized racial or ethnic group; people with disabilities; immigrants; people from the LGBTQ+ community; or another community that has historically faced systemic and persistent barriers to good health. We especially welcome proposals that consider intersecting identities across race, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, and other dimensions. In consideration of our commitment to community-engaged research, people from the community of focus must have a leadership role in the design, conduct, and dissemination of the proposed research or analysis.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

• Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories.
   
• Preference will be given to applicants that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. The Foundation may require additional documentation.
   
• Consistent with our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commitment, we particularly encourage applicants with project directors or team members from backgrounds historically underrepresented in research disciplines as a result of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, or other factors.

Key Dates & Deadlines

April 4, 2022
Call for proposals released.

May 3, 2022 (2-3 p.m. ET)
Optional applicant webinar. Registration is required through this link.

June 24, 2022 (3 p.m. ET)
Deadline for receipt of brief proposals.

September 12, 2022
Applicants notified whether invited to submit full proposals.

November 15, 2022 (3 p.m. ET)
Deadline for receipt of full proposals.

March 3, 2023
Notification of finalists.

May 1, 2023
Grants start.

Total Awards

• Up to $1.3 million will be available under this CFP.
   
• Funding will range from $50,000 to $350,000 per project to accommodate projects of nine to 36 months. Applicants should request the amount of funding they will need to complete the proposed research or policy analysis and to translate and disseminate the results. Applicants should propose a grant period that supports the timely dissemination of findings to inform policy.
   
• We expect to fund a diverse range of studies with varying budgets and timelines.