Developing Recommendations for Disaggregating Data Within the Asian American Population

Purpose

Since 2015, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has supported research efforts and advocacy to update policies that dictate minimum standards for the collection, analysis, and reporting of race and ethnicity data. RWJF funding has aimed to advance data equity—especially to make more visible populations that have been historically underrepresented in data—and to more fairly consider such groups in the creation of policies, allocation of resources, and design and implementation of programs.

Current federal minimum standards for collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data place people under broad categories that mask significant heterogeneity within those groups. Asian Americans, for example, account for 20 million people who have origins from dozens of countries in East, South, and Southeast Asia with distinct cultures, languages, and histories, and are one of the most economically divided racial groups in the U.S. Without nuanced data collection and disaggregation beyond broad racial categories, the research from which we draw policies and strive to influence better health outcomes can be dramatically misinformed.

This funding opportunity will support a multifaceted research project that yields recommendations for actionable Asian American subgroup categories to be applied in the collection and analysis of race and ethnicity data. The goal of this award is to develop community-informed and evidence-based recommendations for how researchers should cluster the diverse Asian American population into smaller subgroups in ways that are feasible for real-world implementation. Advancing systematic disaggregation—whether it is at the collection, analysis, or reporting phase—can improve the health and social services fields’ ability to target their resources where they are most needed in communities experiencing significant disparities.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

• While multiple organizations can collaborate on this project, only one organization may represent the collaboration and be the lead contact in the proposal process. The lead contact should be an organization or institution whose primary focus is research or has a rigorous internal research department.
• If multiple organizations will be collaborating on this project, each collaborating organization must be described in detail in the proposal.
• Awards will be made to organizations, not to individuals. 
• 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.
• Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories.
   

Key Dates & Deadlines

• July 15, 2024
  RWJF online system available for receiving brief proposals.
   
• August 13, 2024 (3 p.m. ET)
  Deadline for receipt of brief proposals.
   
• September 11, 2024
  Notification to brief proposal applicants, including invitations to submit full proposals.
   
• October 9, 2024 (3 p.m. ET)
  Deadline for receipt of full proposals.
   
• November 20, 2024
  Notification of funding recommendations.
   
• January 15, 2025
  Grant begins.

Total Awards

One award up to $800,000 will be funded. The award will be for a maximum funding period of 24 months.