Research is more accurate, actionable, and equitable when people with varied perspectives and lived experiences design and conduct it. A new funding opportunity supports representation in research and promotes equity and inclusion.
Editor's note: This blog post was updated in October 2025 to introduce a new funding opportunity.
We all want to believe that academic environments exist where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to do their best work and advance their careers—no matter their race, ethnicity, lived experience, or background. But as my career path revealed, this isn’t always the case. It’s why I’m personally committed to changing this reality for others.
Always focused on the intersection of public health and social justice, I moved from student to advisor, faculty, committee participant, and administrator working in academia. I enjoyed teaching, cultivating relationships to help students set the stage for their success, and participating in an intellectually critical environment to advance health and wellbeing for all. But I also felt, firsthand, the barriers that impede many faculty of color.
Case in point: I was recruited to numerous committees and conversations—additional burdens, especially as a junior faculty member—that were not recognized when considered for promotion. I was often tapped to provide a perspective or share my personal experience because people like me were not well-represented in academic environments (or in health sciences, generally). While I was happy to make my voice heard, these extra responsibilities occupied time and effort that I could have otherwise devoted to scholarship or personal development.
Initially, I had little awareness that these additional responsibilities were wearing me down, making me feel ineffective and, often, directly conflicting with my personal life. I struggled with knowing how and when to say “no” when there were so few who shared my experience. Over time, I realized that I lacked the support system I needed to overcome the challenges of underrepresented early-career faculty. And I wasn’t alone.
As I experienced, many early-career researchers who study racial and health equity may not have mentors who understand or share their life experiences. This makes it more challenging for them to establish a robust professional network and support system within their field. Once on the tenure track, minority faculty are often asked to spend extra time on diversity, equity, and inclusion work. While important, this takes time away from their own career growth. On top of that, unfair rules for evaluation, biased tenure standards, and other forms of discrimination can make it harder for them to move up in their careers.
The problem is twofold: Structural racism and discrimination have made it harder for many qualified people to start or grow in academic careers. And at this moment in the U.S., the federal government has deserted thousands of researchers by cancelling their grants in response to executive orders seeking to roll back or end diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. By directly acknowledging and addressing these barriers together, we can create more durable, more accurate, and more actionable evidence.
One solution is near and dear to my heart: Health Equity Scholars for Action. This program, which has just released a new call for applications, awards grants for early-career researchers to study transformative, action-oriented strategies that address structural racism. Up to fifteen scholars will receive up to $265,000 in research funding, plus coaching, mentorship, and a community of support to help advance their academic careers.
Beyond funding, these grants offer scholars the support, resources, and community they need to succeed in their work and personal lives. This helps them better contribute to health equity research and enhance the lives of all Americans.
Diversifying who does research paints a more complete picture of health disparities and potential solutions. It also incorporates the historical and cultural contexts essential to advancing health and racial equity and enriches the information and data that decision makers use to shape policies, programs, and practices.
What I have loved most about a career in public health is the ever-expanding centering of communities facing structural barriers, bias, or discrimination, and their authentic engagement in developing solutions. True equity in academia—and beyond—starts with fair and equitable admissions, but there is a lot more we can do to open up opportunities for prospective students, students, faculty, and beyond.
About the Author
Sheldon Oliver Watts, program officer, brings his expertise in academic and community settings to his work with the Foundation’s Research, Evaluation, and Learning (REL) unit. Through his work he weds his interest and experience in population/community health and wellbeing with RWJF’s goal of advancing health equity and promoting a Culture of Health.