Here’s an overview of how the review process works for the Pioneering Ideas: Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health Call for Proposals:
Your submitted proposal (called “brief proposal”) goes through an eligibility screening and up to two rounds of reviews before a decision is made to either turndown or request a full proposal for consideration.
Eligibility screening of brief proposal: At this stage, an RWJF staff member will determine whether your brief proposal is eligible for funding, that is whether it falls within both the guidelines of what the Foundation funds and the broad scope of the Pioneering Ideas: Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health call for proposals. If your brief proposal is not eligible, you will receive notice of turndown via email from myrwjf@rwjf.org.
First review of brief proposal: At this stage, your eligible brief proposal is reviewed by at least two RWJF Pioneering Ideas for an Equitable Future team members. If your brief proposal will not move to the second review, you will receive notice of turndown via email from myrwjf@rwjf.org.
Second review of brief proposal: At this stage, your brief proposal is discussed at a Pioneering Ideas staff meeting. If the Pioneering Ideas team decides to move your brief proposal forward, one of two next steps will occur: (1) a Pioneering Ideas program officer will contact you to request additional information or (2) you will receive a request for a full proposal for consideration. If your brief proposal will not move to either next step, you will receive notice of turndown via email from myrwjf@rwjf.org.
Requests for additional information after third review of brief proposal: If this stage applies to you, a Pioneering Ideas program officer will contact you to discuss your brief proposal either via email or through a scheduled call. The program officer will ask you to talk through your idea in more detail, ask questions that emerged during the review process, and discuss next steps. After this conversation, the Pioneering Ideas team will determine whether to invite a full proposal. If your brief proposal will not move forward, you will receive notice of turndown via email from myrwjf@rwjf.org.
Full Proposal Stage
At this stage, you will receive an email inviting you to submit a full proposal for consideration through our online proposal management system. A full proposal application requires detailed information about your organization, your project’s goals, activities, and sustainability as well as a detailed budget and budget narrative.
Once your full proposal has been submitted, it will be reviewed by RWJF staff members and up to three people outside of RWJF. External reviewers may be experts in the field of study the proposed work pertains to and/or may be reviewing the proposal with an additional equity lens. Your full proposal will also be reviewed by RWJF’s legal and finance teams. After these reviews, there may be additional questions or conversations with you. Once all reviews are completed, the Pioneering Ideas team director makes a decision about whether to recommend funding to RWJF senior leadership.