Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP)

Introduction & Purpose

RWJF believes that leadership for health equity (individuals, organizations, or communities co-creating an emerging future in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity for health and wellbeing) is an essential lever for change, especially the complex change needed to dismantle structural racism. Our leadership development programs support and connect participants to enhance their influence as leaders, researchers, and advisers to achieve greater equity in communities across our country.

The Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP) offers four-year postdoctoral research awards to physicians, dentists, and nurses from historically marginalized backgrounds. We expect scholars to spend at least 70 percent of their time engaged in research. Scholars should be committed to working toward eliminating health disparities especially within underserved populations; to support succeeding AMFDP scholars; and to achieving senior rank in academic medicine, dentistry, or nursing.

The program provides scholars with:

• development of research, academic, and leadership skills;
• ongoing mentoring by a distinguished national advisory committee;
• a grounding in the social determinants of health, health equity, and the elements of a Culture of Health;
• growth in communications skills to advance the impact of scholars’ research and scholarship in the field.

In this grant cycle, RWJF will fund up to 10 four-year awards of up to $420,000 each. Scholars will receive an annual stipend of up to $75,000 each, complemented by a $30,000 annual grant to support research activities.

Do you share our vision for leadership—and want to take the next step in your leadership journey? We encourage you to explore the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

To be eligible for this award, applicants must be physicians, dentists, or nurses who:

• are from historically marginalized backgrounds;
• are U.S. citizens or permanent residents at the time of application, or individuals granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the time of application (changes in federal policy or law may necessitate that we consider adjustments in eligibility and grant terms);
• are completing or have completed their formal clinical training (we will give preference to those who have recently completed their formal clinical training or—in the case of nurses—their research doctorate);
• are not related by blood or marriage to any Officer or Trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, nor are a descendant of its founder, Robert Wood Johnson.

Federal, state, tribal, and local government employees who are not considered government officials under Section 4946 of the Internal Revenue Code are eligible to apply.

Physicians must be Board-eligible to apply for this program. A dental applicant must be a general dentist with a master’s degree or a PhD or have completed advanced dental education. Nurse applicants must be registered nurses with a research doctorate in nursing or a related discipline completed by the application deadline.

Detailed research plans and budgets for selected finalists must be submitted by the university, school of medicine, dentistry, nursing, or research institution with which the prospective scholar will be affiliated during the term of the fellowship.

The university, school, or research institution must meet the following criteria:

• Be either a public entity or nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is not a private foundation or nonfunctionally integrated Type III supporting organization;
• Be based in the United States or its territories.

Key Dates & Deadlines

• March 15, 2023 (3 p.m. ET)
  Deadline for receipt of completed online applications.
• July 12-14, 2023
  Semifinalist applicant interviews with national advisory committee members.
• August 2023
  Notification of finalist status.
• November 2023
  Notification of awards.

Total Awards

RWJF will fund up to 10 four-year awards of up to $420,000 each in this grant cycle. Scholars will receive an annual stipend of up to $75,000 each, complemented by a $30,000 annual grant to support research activities. As detailed above, additional awards are available through partnerships with the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

The grant opportunity outlined in this call for applications is contingent upon final funding confirmation from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for such grants.