Health Science Knowledge System
Research and knowledge—when guided by equity—have the power to create better health for all.
Together, we can create a future where health is for everyone. But we know that the barriers to good health and wellbeing are wide ranging, and include social, economic, and environmental factors.
Medical research alone can’t address the causes of health inequities. We need better science. We need research and evidence driven by people with varied experiences, perspectives, and ideas. We value scientific methods and we value local wisdom, innovative approaches, and new ways of working that will advance society in profound ways.
We need a health research system that better addresses the complexities of health and wellbeing in communities while building trust with the people it serves. This improved system must be inclusive and rooted in equity at every stage—from how data are collected and measured to how they are shared and used to make decisions. The health research system is made up of people, which means that people can come together to change it.
Exploring Equitable Futures
We seek to provide grants to visionary thinkers—scientists, anthropologists, engineers, technologists, creatives, and others—to uncover new and unconventional ideas that will contribute to our collective efforts to dismantle structural racism and transform health in our lifetime.
Ways of Knowing
We are working toward a health science knowledge system that values more ways of knowing—including experiential, cultural, and community knowledge—while also working to increase trust in academic science.
Data Systems
We are working toward a health science knowledge system that incorporates new data sources and measures that better illuminate the ways in which structural racism and other forms of discrimination drive health inequities.
What is the Relationship between Race, Racism, and Public Health?
Gail Christopher, director of RWJF’s Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems, and Alonzo Plough, RWJF’s chief science officer and vice president of Research-Evaluation-Learning, engaged in a conversation about the critical role of public health data in understanding and confronting racism.
Community Voices
We are working toward a health science knowledge system that is guided by community needs and voices, and where research is led and used by people who are part of the community.
Leadership
We are working toward a health science knowledge system that is guided by future generations of diverse, equity-focused leaders.
Related Content
Evidence and Data
We work to expand our nation's evidence base on the many factors that shape health. We recognize that equitable data collection and analysis is necessary to dismantle barriers to health equity.
Learning and Evaluation
Learning Across Global Borders
Knowing that good ideas have no borders, we explore promising solutions from around the world—programs, policies, and practices—that might work in the United States to advance health equity.
